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DOROTHY SAT DOWN AT HER FATHER'S DESK— Page 19 







































































DOROTHY DALE 


A GIRL OF TO-DAY 


BY 

MARGARET PENROSE 

AUTHOR OF “DOROTHY DALE AT GLENWOOD SCHOOL,” ETC 


ILLUSTRATED 


NEW YORK 

CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY 


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THE DOROTHY DALE SERIES 

By Margaret Penrose 
Cloth. Illustrated. Price 6o cents each, postpaid 

DOROTHY DALE: A GIRL OF TO-DAY 
DOROTHY DALE AT GLENWOOD SCHOOL 
(Other volumes in preparation) 

CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY NEW YORK 


Copyright, 1908, by 
Cupples & Leon Company 


Dorothy Dale*. A Girl of To-Day 







CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Dorothy .i 

II. Dorothy at the Office.12 

III. A Strange Adventure.27 

IV. A Clew.37 

V. Miles Burlock . . 44 

VI. At the Swing.51 

VII. What Happened in the Orchard ... 56 

VIII. Squire Sanders at School.62 

IX. The Aftermath.70 

X. Apple Blossom Magic.75 

XI. A Soldier’s Daughter.88 

XII. An Unprovoked Attack.98 

XIII. A Queer Picnic.109 

XIV. The Secret.120 

XV. Dorothy in Politics.129 

XVI. The Girls Have It.138 

XVII. A Girl’s Weapon.143 

XVIII. Dorothy in Danger.150 

XIX. A Surprise Trip.157 

XX. An Eventful Journey.165 

XXI. At Aunt Winnie’s.173 






















CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

XXII. The Price of T avia’s Tresses. 182 

XXIII. In Social Elements. 197 

XXIV. The Painted Face. 208 

XXV. An Emergency Case.220 

XXVI. Dorothy’s Courage. 231 

XXVII. The Little Captain—Conclusion . . . .236 







DOROTHY DALE 


CHAPTER I 

DOROTHY 

The day of days had come at last: Dorothy 
would be the Daughter of the Regiment. 

“ Lucky you don’t have to curl your hair, Doro, 
for the fog is like rain, and that’s the worst 
kind for made curls,” said Tavia. 

“ Oh, I do hope it is not going to rain! ” 

“ No, it surely won’t. But come, don’t let’s 
be late.” 

“ There’s heaps of time, Tavia. Oh, just see 
Briggs’ new flag! Isn’t it glorious?” cried 
Dorothy Dale. 

u Not half as glorious as your old Betsy Ross. 
I’d be too proud to march if I had a real, truly 
Betsy. I think, anyway, it’s prettier with the 
star of stars than with the regular daisy field of 
them,” and Tavia tied her scarf just once more, 


i 


2 


DOROTHY DALE 


that being the fourth time she had smoothed it out 
and knotted it over. 

“ I think red, white and blue look lovely over 
a white dress,” commented Dorothy. “ Your 
scarf is perfect.” 

“ But you are like a live Columbia,” insisted 
Tavia. “ No one could look as pretty as you,” 
and her companion fairly beamed with admira¬ 
tion. 

“ Come now, gather up the stuffs. Button your 
cloak all the way down, for we don’t want folks 
to see how we’re dressed,” and Dorothy made 
sure that her own water-proof covered her skirts 
to the very edge. 

It was Decoration Day, and the girls were to 
take part in the Veterans’ procession. 

Dorothy was the only daughter of Major 
Frank Dale, one of the prominent veterans of 
Dalton, a small town in New York state. Dor¬ 
othy was in her fourteenth year, but since her 
mother was dead, and she was the eldest of the 
small family (the other members being Joe, age 
ten, and Roger just seven), she seemed older, and 
was really very sensible for her years. 

The major always called her his Little Cap¬ 
tain, and she showed such a practical interest in 
his business, that of running the only newspaper 


DOROTHY 


3 


in Dalton, The Bugle, that few, if any boys could 
have made better partners in the work. 

At housekeeping Dorothy was relieved of the 
real drudgery by Mrs. Martin, who had been with 
the major’s children since the day when baby 
Roger was taken from his mother’s side; and 
while the housekeeper was the soul of love for 
the motherless ones, it was Dorothy who felt re¬ 
sponsible for the real management of the home, 
for Aunt Libby, as the children called Mrs. Mar¬ 
tin, was fast growing old, and faster growing 
queer, in spite of a really good-natured disposition. 

“ It seems to me, Dorothy,” the old lady would 
say, u Libby can’t suit you any more. And Joe, 
too — he’s mighty fussy about his victuals. Only 
my baby Roger loves the old woman! ” and she 
would press the younger boy to her breast with 
a world of love in the caress. 

Not far from Dorothy lived Octavia Travers, 
or Tavia as all the girls in Dalton called her. 
She had the reputation of being wild; that is she 
cared little for school, and less for study, but she 
loved her brother Johnnie and she loved Dorothy. 
She also had some love left for the woods; but 
like many another child of nature, she was mis¬ 
understood, and she was considered an idler by 
every one but her own father and Dorothy. 


4 


DOROTHY DALE 


u Tavia is a rough diamond,” Dorothy would 
tell the major, “ and you need not be afraid of 
Aunt Libby’s dreadful ideas about her. She’s as 
good as gold. Lots of girls, who turn up their 
noses at her, might learn charity from the Tiger 
Lily, as they call her, just because she has a few 
freckles around her eyes. I think they make her 
eyes prettier, they are so brown — her eyes you 
know. And Daddy, no other girl in Dalton loves 
soldiers, dead or alive, as truly as Tavia does.” 

This last argument never failed to convince 
Major Dale, for a patriotic girl could no more go 
astray than could a star fall from the flag, he 
declared; so the Little Captain might go with 
Tavia if she desired. 

So it was that Dorothy and Tavia were com¬ 
panions on Decoration Day. For weeks they had 
been getting ready — Tavia picking out the 
patches of daisies that would surely be in bloom 
in time, and Dorothy making certain that Mrs. 
Travers would not disappoint Tavia with her 
white things, as well as keeping track of Aunt 
Libby, who had Dorothy’s own costume in hand. 
The dress was too short and had to be let down 
a whole inch, and of course, it could not be done 
up until after the alterations were finished. 

There was always a big time in Dalton on 


DOROTHY 


5 


Memorial Day, but this year it was to be made 
more memorable than ever before. The Grand 
Army of the Republic men were to come in from 
Rochester, the firemen were to turn out, and the 
school children were to have a place in the ranks, 
with Dorothy Dale as their leader. Besides this, 
the Dalton Drum and Fife Corps would make their 
first public appearance on this occasion, and a 
real review was to be given the procession, in the 
little square opposite the school, not very far from 
the cemetery where the soldiers’ graves would be 
decorated. 

No wonder, then, that Dorothy and Tavia were 
anxious about their appearance. Every school 
girl was expected to wear white, of course, and 
the bunting stripes of red, white and blue were 
bought in Rochester, by the school teacher, Miss 
Ellis, and sold to the children at actual cost — 
ten cents for each scarf. 

One thing was certain, no other girls would 
have such flowers as Dorothy and Tavia had. 
Such syringias and such daisies! And the ferns 
that Tavia had growing back of the well for 
weeks! 

Tavia had taken charge of the flowers for Dor¬ 
othy, had made the big bouquet and had covered 
it with wet paper so it would keep fresh. The 


6 


DOROTHY DALE 


Little Captain had made certain that her com¬ 
panion would not be disappointed about her white 
dress, and although Tavia had to stay from school 
to wash it the day before, Dorothy went over to 
help her with the ironing, for Mrs. Travers man¬ 
aged somehow, to have an excuse for her failure 
in getting her daughter ready — she was that 
kind of helpless, shiftless person, who rarely had 
things ready for her children, especially in the mat¬ 
ter of Tavia’s clothes. 

“ Your dress looks real pretty,” declared Dor¬ 
othy, as the girls hurried along to the school. 

“ Thanks to you for ironing it,” responded 
Tavia, with gratitude in her voice. 

“ I only helped, you did the skirt.” 

“ That was plain, but the waist and sleeves — 
I never could have even smoothed them, to say 
nothing of making them look this way,” and she 
straightened up to show the beauty of the gar¬ 
ment. 

At the school everything was in commotion. 
Some girls wanted their scarfs tied, others wanted 
to carry flags, some insisted they could not go out 
without hats, while Miss Ellis, always strict, 
seemed more stern than ever. 

“ Those who were here yesterday afternoon 
raise their hands,” she commanded. 


DOROTHY 


7 


Every girl but Tavia raised her hand. 

“ Those who were not here to rehearsal,” went 
on the teacher, “ cannot be in the ranks. You 
know I told you all to be here, or not to expect 
to go blundering along the roads, disgracing the 
school. Now, Miss Tavia Travers, please step 
back.” 

All the commotion ceased. Tavia the patriotic 
girl — she who had been searching for flowers in 
all sorts of dangerous and lonely places — not to 
march ? 

“ Teacher,” spoke up Dorothy, her cheeks 
aflame and her voice quivering. “ It was not 
Tavia’s fault. She—” 

“ Silence, Dorothy, or you will also lose your 
place.” 

“But teacher—” insisted the girl, with com¬ 
mendable courage, “ I know Tavia —” 

“ Leave the ranks! ” called Miss Ellis and Dor¬ 
othy stepped down — and slipped into a seat 
alongside her weeping friend. “ Sarah Ford, you 
may lead.” 

This announcement caused no less surprise than 
did the punishment of Dorothy. To think that 
Sarah Ford, a stranger in Dalton, whose father 
was not even a firemen, let alone a soldier, should 
take first place! 


8 


DOROTHY DALE 


It must be admitted that not every girl cared 
when Tavia left the ranks, for she was not a gen¬ 
eral favorite: but Dorothy! Major Dale’s 
daughter! and he the head marshal! 

With a conceited toss of her head Sarah Ford 
stepped to the front. 

“ She’s mean,” was whispered around. “ Per¬ 
haps teacher knows only the meanest girl would 
ever take Doro’s place.” 

Meanwhile two very miserable girls were cry¬ 
ing their eyes sore in the back seat. 

“ Oh, Doro!” sobbed Tavia, “to think you 
lost it on my account.” 

“ It was not on your account,” wailed Dorothy, 
“ but on account of an unreasonable teacher.” 

“Hush! She’ll hear you.” 

“ Hope she does,” went on the crying girl. “ I 
would just like her to know what I think of her. 
I don’t care if I never come in this old school 
again.” 

“ I never will,” whispered Tavia. 

The ranks were formed now, and the girls 
marched out. An unpardonable expression cov¬ 
ered the face of Sarah Ford as she passed the 
tearful ones. 

“ There,” hissed Tavia, sticking out her tongue 


DOROTHY 


9 


at the unpopular leader. “Sneak!” she hissed 
again, and made the most unmistakable face of 
contempt and defiance at the haughty Sarah. 

Many looked sadly at Dorothy and with pity at 
Tavia. Certainly these two girls deserved to 
march. Dorothy had done so much to help, in 
fact some of the girls knew she had helped the 
major with all the letter writing, inviting the 
Rochester men, and sending instructions to the 
firemen. And to think that now, at the last mo¬ 
ment, she should be debarred! 

And Tavia too, had been so happy at the pros¬ 
pect of the parade. Poor Tavia! Everybody 
knew she had a hard time of it, anyway, only for 
Dorothy, who always helped her out. 

“ Now, young ladies,” said Miss Ellis, as the 
last girl passed out, “ you may fall in at the end.” 

“ I don’t care to,” Dorothy spoke up, wiping 
her eyes. 

“ But I say you must! ” 

“ Do,” whispered Tavia, “ we can see them any¬ 
way.” 

This was enough for Dorothy. Both girls 
stood up, straightened out their crushed dresses, 
patted their red eyes with their handkerchiefs, and 
fell in at the end of the line. 


10 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ I don’t care a bit,” said Dorothy smiling. “ I 
would just as soon be with you any way. And 
besides, we will be right next to the Veterans.” 

“ Oh, good,” answered her companion, “ I 
would rather be there than up front. Only, of 
course, you should lead.” 

The Dalton Drum and Fife Corps was playing 
loudly. There seemed something very solemn 
about the lively tune in honor of the “ Boys ” who 
had answered their last roll call. 

Tavia’s eyes were swimming, and not a freckle 
was to be seen beneath the deep red color that 
framed them. 

Dorothy could not talk. It was so sad — that 
soldiers had to die just like other persons. She 
prayed her “ Daddy ” would not be called for 
years and years. 

At the corner of the street the school children 
were joined by the main column. The veterans 
fell in — back of Dorothy and Tavia! 

Major Dale was grand marshal, and of course 
came first. He looked surprised at seeing his 
daughter — his Little Captain, last in line with 
the children. 

Then he glanced at Tavia. It was certainly 
something for which she was responsible he was 
sure, for Dorothy had told him she had remained 


DOROTHY 


ii 


away from school and missed the last rehearsal. 

“ Halt,” called the major, and his men stood 
still. 

At a signal the entire ranks waited. Miss Ellis 
stepped up to the marshal smiling. She had 
evidently forgotten his daughter had lost her 
place. 

u I need two girls to carry the end flags,” he 
began. “ These old men have all they can do to 
travel. The flags are not heavy — here, the two 
last girls will do nicely! ” 

Dorothy and Tavia stepped to the sides and 
gracefully took the flags from the hands of the aged 
soldiers. 

The only girls who could carry real army flags! 
And walk on either side of the marshal leading 
the Veterans! 

“ If I only could stick my tongue out just once 
more at Sarah,” whispered Tavia, as she crossed 
back of the marshal to her place. 

“ We have both got Betsy Ross flags now,” 
said Dorothy, and in all that procession there were 
no prettier figures than those of Dorothy and 
Tavia, as they marched alongside the veterans, 
with the real army flags waving above their heads, 
stepping with feet and hearts in perfect accord 
to the music of the Dalton Drum and Fife Corps’ 
“ Star Spangled Banner.” 


CHAPTER II 


DOROTHY AT THE OFFICE 

Could the sunshine of yesterday be forgotten 
in the clouds of to-day? 

Major Dale was ill. Overfatigue from the 
long march, the doctor said, had brought on seri¬ 
ous complications. 

Early that morning after Memorial Day, Aunt 
Libby called Dorothy to go to her father. The 
faithful housekeeper had been about all night, for 
the major had had a high fever, but now, with 
daylight, came a lowering of temperature, and 
he wanted Dorothy. 

“ Now, don’t take on when you see him,” Aunt 
Libby told the frightened girl. “ Just make 
light of it and pet him like.” 

Poor Dorothy! To think her own “ Daddy” 
was really sick — and so many veterans already 
dead! But she must not have gloomy thoughts, 
she must be brave and strong as he had always 
taught her to be. 

“ Why, Daddy,” she whispered, in a strained 
12 


DOROTHY AT THE OFFICE 


i3 


voice, kissing his hot cheek, “ the honors of yes¬ 
terday were too much for you.” 

“ Guess so, Little Captain, but I’ll be on hand 
at mess time,” and he made an effort to look like 
a well man. “ But I tell you, daughter, there’s 
something on my mind; the Bugle should come out 
to-morrow.” 

“ And so it will. I’ll go directly down to the 
office and tell Ralph.” 

“ Yes, Ralph Willoby is a good boy — the best 
I have ever had in the Bugle office. And that’s 
why I sent for you so early. I want you to go 
down to the office and help Ralph.” 

“ Oh, I’ll just love to! ” and Dorothy was really 
pleased at the prospect of working on the paper, 
in spite of the unfortunate circumstance — her 
father’s illness — that gave her the chance. 

“ Not so fast now. You must pay strict at¬ 
tention —” 

“ But you are not to talk: you have had a 
fever, from fatigue, you know, and it might come 
back. Just let me go to the office and I will 
promise to return for instructions at the very first 
trouble Ralph meets.” 

Dorothy was already on her feet. She knew 
the very worst thing the major could do in his 
present condition would be to talk business. 


14 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ Now I’m off,” she said, with a kiss and an 
assuring smile, “ you will be proud of to-morrow’s 
Bugle . 1 All about Memorial Day! ’ ‘ Get the 

Bugle if you want the news! ’ ” she added, in true 
newsboy style. Then Aunt Libby came in to wait 
on the major. 

But Dorothy’s heart was not as light as her 
smile had been. Her father looked very ill, and 
the bread and butter of the Dale household de¬ 
pended upon the getting out of the Bugle . 

Her brothers, Joe and Roger, had been sent to 
school early to be out of the way, but to-morrow 
they might both stay home, thought the sister, for 
they could help sell papers. 

“ Father never would let the boys do it,” she 
reflected, “ but he is sick now, and we must do 
the very best we can. If he were ill a long time 
we would have to get along.” 

Only waiting to snatch up a sandwich left from 
her brothers’ lunch,—for she knew the noon hour 
would be a busy time at the Bugle office,—Dor¬ 
othy hurried out and over to Tavia’s. 

“ I can’t go to school to-day,” she called in at 
the half opened door. “ Father is sick, and I 
must attend to some business for him.” 

“Bad?” queried Tavia, for she noticed the 
change in her friend’s manner. 


DOROTHY AT THE OFFICE 


15 


“ Perhaps not so very. But you know he is 
seldom sick, and now he has a fever.” 

“ Fever?” echoed Mrs. Travers. “Tavia, 
close that door this very minute! We cannot af¬ 
ford to catch fevers.” 

Dorothy felt as if some one had slapped her 
face. To think of her father giving any one sick¬ 
ness ! 

“ Nonsense, ma,” spoke up Tavia. “ The major 
is only ill from walking in the hot sun. Come in, 
Doro dear, and tell us if we can help you.” 

“ Aunt Libby is alone with him, and when the 
doctor comes she may need something. If your 
ma would not be afraid to let Johnnie run over 
about noon, I would pay him for any errand,” 
spoke Dorothy. 

“ Oh, certainly, dear,” the woman replied, now 
venturing to poke her uncombed head out of 
doors, thinking, evidently that the mere mention 
of money was the most powerful antiseptic known. 
“ Of course Johnnie will be too pleased. I’ll send 
him any time you say.” 

Secretly glad that her mother had so promptly 
overcome her fear of the fever, but also ashamed 
that her motive should be so flagrant, Tavia slipped 
on her things and joined her companion. 

“ I wouldn’t keep you another minute,” she be- 


i6 


DOROTHY DALE 


gan, “ for I know just how anxious you are. But 
I’m going along to help. I can go on errands at 
least, and keep you company.” 

“ Oh, Tavia, dear, perhaps you had better go 
to school. On account of the trouble yesterday, 
teacher will think we are both defying her.” 

“ Then let her send the Lady Sarah to find 
out,” retorted Tavia. “ I would show her if I 
had freckles on my tongue.” 

“ Please don’t talk so, Tavia, it is wrong —” 

“ Wrong? My father says there are some men 
in this world too mean to bother the law about. 
He says he knows one he would like to thresh 
only he is sure the sneak would not hit him back, 
but would have him arrested. Physical punish¬ 
ment is the kind for such, father declares. And 
that’s just the way I feel about Lady Sarah. I 
would not tell teacher on her, for that would give 
her a chance to 1 crawl,’ as Johnnie calls being 
mean. So sticking my tongue out at her is the 
nearest I can come to physical punishment.” 

This doctrine did not in any way coincide with 
the upright views of Dorothy, but she knew argu¬ 
ment would be useless. Besides, her head and 
heart were too full of other things to bother about 
school girl troubles. 

“ Are you going to print the whole paper?” 


DOROTHY AT THE OFFICE 


i7 


Tavia asked, with amusing ignorance of the ways 
of the Great American Press. 

“ Why, no, dear, I could not print it. Ralph 
must do that.” 

“ Oh, I know. Just put things in it.” 

“ I may have to write some,” Dorothy replied, 
with an important air. “ The parade story was 
not written. Father intended to do that.” 

“Oh, goody!” went on the irrepressible 
Tavia. “ Say that the meanest girl in school, 
Miss Sarah Ford, was chosen, at the last moment, 
to lead the girls, owing to the sudden illness of 
Miss Dorothy Dale, the most popular girl in 
school, who took a headache from the sun, but later 
recovered in time to carry a Betsy Ross flag, along 
with her dear friend, Miss Octavia Travers, the 
flags being presented to the girls by Major Dale. 
There now, how’s that?” and Tavia fairly 
beamed at the very idea of having her “ story ” 
printed. 

“I declare, Tavia, you can string words to¬ 
gether, as father would say. But we cannot say 
anything against any one. That would bring on 
lawsuits, you know.” 

“ Oh yes, I know. It’s just as pa says: some 
folks are too mean for anything but a good thrash¬ 
ing — an( l that’s Sarah. But I’ll do anything I 


i8 


DOROTHY DALE 


can to help you, and I hope I won’t get the 
Bugle into any lawsuits.” 

Dorothy thanked her, and remarked that it was 
not likely. 

By this time they had reached the newspaper 
office. Up two flights of stairs, over the post- 
office and drug store, the girls found the much- 
perplexed Ralph Willoby waiting anxiously for 
his employer. 

Ralph was that kind of a young man whom 
people trust at once. He was known all over Dal¬ 
ton as a most zealous worker in the “ Liquor 
Crusade,” that was being very actively carried on in 
the town. He had a firm face, and deep, clear 
eyes. The major used to say his eyes could talk 
faster than his tongue — and he knew how to con¬ 
verse well, too. 

He had his sleeves rolled up, and was bending 
over a pille of “ copy ” when the girls entered the 
office. He brushed his sleeves down and rose to 
hear their message. 

“ Father is ill,” began Dorothy weakly, for in¬ 
side the office its difficulties seemed to crush her. 

“ And we’re going to get the paper out,” 
blurted Tavia, trying to grasp the wonders of a 
real newspaper office in a single sweeping 
glance. 


DOROTHY AT THE OFFICE 


19 

M 

11 Can’t he come down? ” and the young man’s 
voice betrayed his anxiety. 

“ I’m afraid not,” went on Dorothy. “ He 
said we were to do the best we could. I was to 
help —” 

“ And I guess I’m to sell the papers. Hurry 
up and print some. Is this the printing press?” 
Tavia rattled on. 

“ But the parade,” demurred Ralph, “ it is not 
even written. I can manage the press well enough, 
but our reporter Mr. Thomas, has not come in 
this morning. I suppose yesterday was too much 
for him.” 

“ I think I could write up the parade,” ven¬ 
tured Dorothy. “ I have often helped father read 
proof, you know.” 

“ Perhaps you can,” assented Ralph. “ Here 
is a pencil and some copy paper. You had better 
try at once, as I will have to go to press earlier 
than usual to allow for ‘ snags,’ ” and he smiled 
to apologize for the newspaper slang. 

Dorothy sat down at her father’s desk. Some¬ 
how, she felt a confidence in her efforts when 
seated there, where he had worked so faithfully, 
and successfully, too, for the Bugle sounded al¬ 
ways the note of truth and sincerity. She started 
at once to write up the parade. She should be 


20 


DOROTHY DALE 


careful, of course, not to mention the major’s 
name, or her own (her father never did) and 
she hoped she could at least make a good compo¬ 
sition or essay on Memorial Day. 

Dorothy worked earnestly, for she meant to 
have that issue of the paper up to the mark, if 
her labors could bring it there. 

Ralph had rolled up his sleeves again, and was 
busy with the press. Tavia was “ nosing around,” 
as she expressed it. The door opened suddenly 
and little Johnnie Travers rushed in. 

“ The major sent me — to tell you —” and he 
had to get a new breath in somehow—“to tell 
you that old Mrs. Douglass is — is dead! ” he 
finally managed to say. “ He wants you to be 
sure to — to — put her in the paper.” 

“ Nothing but live stuff in this paper, Johnnie 
dear,” spoke up Tavia. “ Mrs. Douglass was 
bad enough alive — but dead! We really haven’t 
space,” and, in spite of the real seriousness of the 
matter, for Mrs. Douglass was an important 
woman in Dalton, or had been up to that morn¬ 
ing, Ralph and Dorothy were compelled to laugh 
at the wit of their friend. 

“ She was a big woman,” said Ralph, adding 
to the mix-up in language, “ and the Bugle is 


DOROTHY AT THE OFFICE 


21 


small. But being ‘ big ’ we cannot afford to slight 
her memory. There is so little time —” 

“ I can write that,” said Tavia, shaking her 
head with a meaning. “ And I know all about 
Mrs. Douglass and her high fence. Also the 
flowers behind the boxwood. Here, Doro, give 
me some of that paper—” 

“ Oh, you would have to see some of the 
family,” interrupted Ralph. “ Find out how she 
died, when she will be buried; if she said any¬ 
thing interesting — about charities, you know —” 
“For mine!” sang out Tavia, adjusting her 
hat. 

u Yes, your first assignment,” ventured Ralph. 
“ Dorothy must finish the parade, and I must at¬ 
tend to the typesetting, so if you could, really,—” 
“ Of course I can. Haven’t I spent more time 
in the graveyard than at school? And don’t I 
know what they say about dead persons? 

“ 1 Here lies Mrs. Doug,— 

She had a mug, 

And none in Dalt could match it. 

When she took sick, 

She died that quick, 

The Bugle couldn’t catch it.’ 


22 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ How’s that? ” went on the girl. 44 Shows it 
was our busy day and we hadn’t time to catch the 
dead news, not Mrs. Doug’s face, you know.” 

“ Oh, Tavia, what slang! ” cried Dorothy, and 
added: 44 you had better not go, you will surely 

say or do something—” 

“ I certainly shall both say and do something. 
Johnnie look out for your nose there. That ma¬ 
chine is going and your nose is not insured. Yes, 
Doro, this issue of the Bugle will blow a blast both 
loud and shrill in memory of Mrs. Doug. You 
know she loved blowing, never missed a windy 
day to collect the rent.” 

It was useless to argue. Tavia was bent on 
doing the 44 obit.” as Ralph called the obituary 
assignment. She went out with Johnnie at her 
heels. 

44 She’s the jolly kind,” commented Ralph, as 
the door closed on the brother and sister. 

44 Yes, and so few understand her,” Dorothy 
replied. 44 To me she is just the dearest girl in 
Dalton, but others think differently of her.” 

44 I’ve known boys like that,” assented the young 
man. 44 They seem to live in a shell, and only 
poke their real selves out to certain persons, those 
who love them.” 

44 I feel more like writing now,” said Dorothy, 


DOROTHY AT THE OFFICE 


23 


brightening up, “ Johnnie told me father is bet¬ 
ter— he was taking some nourishment, the child 
said, and when the doctor left Johnnie did not 
have to go to the drug store. That means, of 
course, that there is nothing new setting in. I 
think Aunt Libby should have ‘kept Joe and 
Roger from school, but she thought the house 
would be quieter for father with them away. 
Aunt Libby is very nervous lately.” 

u I do hope the major will be well soon,” an¬ 
swered Ralph. “ He seemed so strong, but I sup¬ 
pose when sickness takes hold of something worth 
while the result is equally of consequence.” 

For some time the girl and young man worked 
without further conversation. Dorothy bent 
earnestly over her story, while Ralph was busy 
with the type, setting up the last item of news 
that would go in the week’s issue of the Bugle . 

Suddenly something like a scream aroused them. 

“What was that?” asked Dorothy, but with¬ 
out waiting to answer Ralph hurried to the door. 
At that moment Tavia staggered into the 
office. Her hat was off and her face was very 
white. 

“ Oh, what is it, Tavia dear? ” Dorothy cried. 
“What has happened?” 

“ I’m so — so frightened,” gasped the girl. 


24 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ Lock the door — that — that man — he may 
come in! He is in the hall.” 

Ralph was out in the hall instantly. The girls, 
clasped in each other’s arms, could hear him run¬ 
ning down the stairs. 

“ Oh, he is'so rough and strong — he may hurt 
Ralph,” whispered Tavia, too frightened to trust 
her own voice. 

It seemed a long time to the girls, but Ralph 
was back in the room with them in a very few 
minutes. 

“ There was no one in the hall,” he said, “ and 
I looked up and down the street. No one — no 
stranger seemed to be in sight.” 

“ Well, I was just coming up the stairs, and 
I couldn’t see from the sun, when some one 
grabbed me,” Tavia explained. 

“ Oh, Tavia! ” interrupted Dorothy. 

“ Yes, indeed, a great big horrid man, with a 
hat over his eyes, and oh, he was dreadful! ” and 
poor Tavia began to tremble again. 

Ralph had his coat on now. That man should 
not get away! 

“ But you can’t leave us,” begged the girls. 
“ He might break the door in.” 

“ Then come down stairs and we will lock up. 
I must telephone to Squire Sanders.” 


DOROTHY AT THE OFFICE 


25 

“ He isn’t home,” Tavia declared. “ I saw him 
drive out as I went up William Street.” 

But Ralph insisted on giving the alarm. 

u What did he say to you? ” he asked. 

“ Why, he must have thought I was Dorothy. 
I saw him first just as I turned out of the Doug¬ 
lass’ place, and he followed me all the way. At 
the lane — where it was really lonely — he called 
to me and I stopped. He said ‘ Where are you 
going? ’ I told him to the Bugle office. I didn’t 
think anything of it. I am never afraid. Then 
he got nearer to me—” 

“ Why didn’t you run? ” asked Dorothy. 

“ Why, I never thought of such a thing. I 
thought maybe he was coming here with some 
news. Even when he started up the dark stairs 
after me I wasn’t afraid. But when he grabbed 
me —” 

“ Oh! ” screamed Dorothy. 

“Yes, and he said: ‘See here, Miss Dale, if 
you put one line in print about that old woman 
being dead — I’ll blow the place up.’ ” 

“ He must be a crank,” said Ralph. “ Such peo¬ 
ple always drift into newspaper offices.” 

“ Oh, no, I am sure he meant it, for he grabbed 
my notes. He saw me reading them in the lane,” 
Tavia paused an instant. “ And really, poor 


26 


DOROTHY DALE 


Mrs. Douglass was a good woman. The servant 
girl told me how she had worked for that Miles 
Burlock,— she had some special interest in him,— 
and you know how he drinks.” 

Unfortunately every one in Dalton knew only 
too well how Miles Burlock drank. Ralph had 
often helped him home, and then tried to get the 
man to talk of reformation, but it seemed like a 
hopeless case. 

“ Why should that strange man want the paper 
to keep quiet about Mrs. Douglass?” asked Dor¬ 
othy. 

“ Something about Burlock, perhaps,” Ralph 
answered, thoughtfully. “ This man may be in 
with the drinking class, and perhaps if Burlock 
read anything or heard it, somehow he might go 
to the Douglass house, and they say Death is a 
great teacher. I know Mrs. Douglass often be¬ 
friended Burlock.” 

“ Then let him blow the office up! ” cried Dor¬ 
othy, with sudden courage. “ Father never 
listened to threats! Tavia, can you remember 
some of the important facts? Quiet yourself and 
think it over.” 


CHAPTER III 

A STRANGE ADVENTURE 

Joe Dale was a credit to the family. Al¬ 
though only a boy in his tenth year, he possessed 
as much manliness as many another well in the 
teens. He was tall, and of the dark type, while 
Dorothy was not quite so tall, and had fair hair; 
so that, in spite of the difference of their ages, 
Joe was often considered Dorothy’s big brother. 
Roger was just a pretty baby, so plump and with 
such golden curls! Dorothy had pleaded not to 
have them cut until his next birthday, but the boys, 
of course, thought seven years very old for long 
hair. 

“ Only for a few months more,” the sister had 
coaxed, and, so the curls were kept. Dorothy 
always arranged them herself, telling fairy stories 
to conceal the time consumed in making the 
ringlets. 

Both boys were to sell papers to-day, for the 
Bugle was out, and Dorothy had told her brothers 
27 


28 


DOROTHY DALE 


of the necessity for extra efforts to help with 
money matters. 

“ You may go with one of the regular boys,” 
Ralph Willoby instructed them. “ He can tell 
you where you would be likely to get customers. 
Go into all the stores, of course, and look out 
for the mill hands, at noon time.” 

“ I’ll sell Bugles to-day,” declared Joe, with 
that splendid manliness and real earnestness that 
makes a boy so attractive, especially to his sister. 

“ It takes a boy,” Dorothy said proudly, as her 
brothers left the office, each with his bundle of 
papers, for, of course, Roger had to have a strap 
full the same as did Joe. Ralph was glancing 
over the paper. Evidently he was pleased with its 
appearance, for his face showed satisfaction. 

“ Is it all right? ” Dorothy asked, secretly glad 
the “ getting out ” was finished, and that she 
would not have to write another parade story that 
day. 

“ First-rate,” answered the young man, “ and 
I think your father will be pleased. You had 
better go home and take him a copy, he may be 
anxious to see one.” 

“ I’ll go now,” she told Ralph, “ and I’ll be 
back about noon, when the boys come in from 
their routes.” 


A STRANGE ADVENTURE 


29 


Dorothy passed out, and closed the door after 
her. Ralph went to the far end of the office, to 
finish folding the papers. Scarcely had he taken 
one sheet in his hand than he heard something in 
the hall. 

A scream! And in Dorothy’s voice! 

Darting past the big press, and making his way 
to the hall door quickly in spite of the things 
that barred his path, Ralph pulled open the por¬ 
tal. 

The girls were in a heap on the steps! Doro¬ 
thy and Tavia. 

The young man bent down anxiously. The 
pair seemed unusually still. 

“ Fainted! ” he murmured, trying to lift Dor¬ 
othy’s head. 

“Is he — go — gone?” whispered Tavia. 
“ We are not hurt. We only made believe! ” 

“ Oh! ” sighed Dorothy. “ I feel as if I were 
dying! I — I can’t breathe ! ” 

“ Try to get on your feet,” commanded Ralph. 
“ The air will revive you! ” 

“There!” gasped Tavia. “There’s his hat. 
I grabbed it when he put the handkerchief, with 
some stuff on it, to my nose,” and the girl held 
up a gray slouch hat, the kind western men usually 


wear. 


30 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ That may help us,” said Ralph. “ But first 
you must both come down to the drug store. 
That stuff he used may sicken you. It has a queer 
smell.” 

Once on their feet the girls seemed all right, in 
fact as Tavia said, they had only “ made be¬ 
lieve ” to prevent any further violence. 

It seemed incredible that two girls should be 
way-laid in broad daylight, in the hall of the most 
public building in Dalton, but the fact was cer¬ 
tainly plain — there was the dirty white hand¬ 
kerchief reeking with some drug, and besides, 
there was the hat that Tavia had taken from the 
man’s head. 

Ralph took the girls into the prescription room 
of the drug store, to see if they needed any atten¬ 
tion, and there to the astonished drug clerk, as 
well as to the equally astonished proprietor, Tavia 
tried to relate what had happened. 

“ It was the same man who grabbed my papers 
the other day,” she said. “ I saw him first as I 
came along William street. Joe and Roger had 
just gone in Beck’s with their papers, and as I 
saw the man watching them I was afraid he might 
kidnap Roger. I was just thinking who would 
be best to call, when he caught me watching him, 
and then, like a flash, he sprang into that saloon at 


A STRANGE ADVENTURE 


the corner. I thought he was frightened lest he 
would be caught, and I hurried down here to warn 
Dorothy. Well, no sooner had I put my foot in¬ 
side the hall than he darted at me —” 

“Where did he come from?” asked the drug; 
store proprietor. 

“ Probably through the alley that leads from 
the saloon to the end of our building,” explained 
Ralph. “ He could easily dash into the hall from 
there.” 

“ He was after papers,” declared Tavia, “ for 
just as he grabbed me he saw Dorothy. I was 
going to scream when he put that queer-smelling 
stuff to my nose.” 

“ I screamed when I saw Tavia,” ventured the 
frightened Dorothy, “ but he had me almost be¬ 
fore I could open — my — mouth. Tavia 
squeezed my hand and I knew she meant for me 
to be quiet.” 

“ And if you had not closed your eyes he might 
have given you another dose,” added Tavia, who 
somehow, seemed to know more than any one else 
about the wicked ways of the mysterious stranger. 

“ But how did he manage to get away so 
promptly?” asked one of the men, trying to get 
on the track for capture. 

“ Through that same alley into the saloon,”' 


32 


DOROTHY DALE 


Ralph said. “ I will go at once, and have the 
•place searched.” 

“ As soon as he got the papers Dorothy had 
he went off,” finished Tavia, “ just as he did when 
he got my notes.” 

Leaving the girls to quiet themselves in the 
drug store, all the men, except the head clerk, 
started out to give the alarm. 

This time a thorough search should be made, 
and even a reward offered by the town for the cap¬ 
ture of the coward who went about trying to 
frighten helpless girls. There was certainly some 
hidden motive in his actions, as he had, each time, 
made an attack on some one connected with the 
Bugle’s business, and the men quickly concluded 
his intentions had to do with an attempt to stop the 
Liquor Crusade. 

Miles Burlock also figured in the case they de¬ 
cided, although how this stranger was mixed up in 
matters relating to Burlock, and what connection 
Mrs. Douglass’ death could have with such affairs, 
was not plain. 

The druggist warned Dorothy and Tavia not to 
tell their experience to any one, not even to the 
folks at home, for, he argued the stranger might 
_get to hear they were after him, and so escape. 

Dorothy readily agreed to keep silent, in fact 


A STRANGE ADVENTURE 33; 

it would not do for any one in her home to know 
of her experience, as the major was too ill to be 
worried, but Tavia did not see why her father 
should not be acquainted with the affair, as he al¬ 
ways knew what to do. And why should other 
men be allowed to search for the man who had 
threatened her, when it was plainly her own father’s 
special privilege? 

“ Well, if you feel that way about it,” agreed 
the druggist, “ tell your father to come down here 
to-night and perhaps he will be put on the com¬ 
mittee.” 

This was quite satisfactory to Tavia, and after 
making sure that no more strangers lurked about, 
the girls made their way home. 

“ I never was afraid in daylight before,” re¬ 
marked Dorothy, whose face was still pale from 
the fright. “ Let us hurry. There are the boys. 
Be sure not to say anything to them about the 
scare.” 

“ Hurrah! ” shouted Joe swinging his empty 
strap. “ All sold out.” 

“ Me too,” said little Roger, who had his strap 
buckled so tightly about his fat waist, that he had 
hard work to breathe under the pressure. 

“Hip — hip—” answered Tavia, continuing: 


34 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ Blow Bugle , blow, 

Blow Bugle blow, 

We’re very proud 
You blew so loud 
To let the people know.” 

“ Price five cents! Order now 1 That’s the 
way city people put things in the papers about their 
goods,” declared Tavia. “ I think when I leave 
school I’ll look for work in a newspaper office.” 

“ Ralph said you did splendidly,” said Dorothy, 
“ I’m sure I never could have gotten along with¬ 
out you. But we are home now and —” 

“ No paper for the major,” finished Tavia. 

“ There’s a boy. I’ll get one,” said Joe, run¬ 
ning off at full speed to overtake the newsboy, who 
had just turned the corner. 

“ Aunt Libby may be cross,” whispered Doro¬ 
thy, “ for she has been all alone, and this being 
Saturday she would expect help.” 

“ Mother won’t say anything to me,” Tavia de¬ 
cided, “ for — well, I have something to tell her 
that will make her forget all about the work.” 

“Not about the — you know—” cautioned 
her companion.” 

“ My, no,” answered the other. u It’s just 
about Mrs. Douglass’ funeral. You know ma al¬ 
ways goes to funerals, and I have found out that 


A STRANGE ADVENTURE 


35 


people may go to the house and see her. That 
will interest ma.” 

Joe was back with the paper, and was proud to 
have such an active interest in the Bugle . It 
seemed something to say it was his own father’s 
paper, and then to have people remark what a 
bright sheet it was, and how it was never afraid 
to tell the truth. 

“ Let me give it to father? ” he asked Dorothy. 

“No, let me?” pleaded little Roger, “cause 
I ain’t hardly seen him a bit lately.” 

“ But you must not tell that we sold papers,” 
directed Joe. “ Father is not to know yet, you 
know.” 

“ Oh, I won’t tell,” Roger promised. 

“ But you might forget,” argued Dorothy. 

“ Nope,” declared the little fellow, “ I’ll just 
let this strap keep squeezing me, then I couldn’t 
forget.” 

“ And have father ask where you got it,” said 
Joe laughing. 

“ Then I’ll tie a string round my finger,” per¬ 
sisted the younger brother. 

“ I’ll tell you,” Dorothy concluded, “ You just 
run in, give father a good hug, put the paper on 
his lap and run out again without saying a word. 
Then he will think you are playing newsboy.” 


36 


DOROTHY DALE 


This plan was finally decided upon, although 
Roger did think he would like to stay for “ just 
a little while ” to hear “ Daddy ” say “ something 
about something.” 

They found the major anxiously expecting them. 
He feared something had happened — the press 
might break down, or the paper supply give out. 
Many things might occur when the man who ran 
the business was not there to keep ends straight. 
To say that the major was pleased was not half tell¬ 
ing it — he was delighted. To think that they 
could get out a paper like that! And that his 
Little Captain should write up the parade. It 
really was well described. 

Perhaps what astonished him most was Tavia’s 
part in the issue. He laughed when Dorothy told 
how jolly Tavia was. Of course, there was no 
mention of the encounter with the strange man. 

But that night Dorothy could not sleep. The 
excitement perhaps, or was it fear? 

Oh, if that horrid man had never come to Dal¬ 
ton! 


CHAPTER IV 


A CLEW 

As the druggist had anticipated, a citizens’ com¬ 
mittee was formed to run down the assailant of 
Dorothy and Tavia. The hat bore the mark of 
a Rochester house, so that was something of a 
clew. A hatless man ought to be easy enough to 
identify, but of course, he had managed to get a 
head covering somewhere; stole it, perhaps, from 
an open hallway. 

But, ^after an exhaustive search, and much ques¬ 
tioning of persons who might have seen the man, 
no news of importance was turned in at the com¬ 
mittee meeting. 

Mr. Travers had what he considered a tangible 
clew. Miles Burlock had told him that a man 
from Rochester had been hounding him for weeks, 
and that he pretended to know something of Bur- 
lock’s business. 

“ Burlock, it seems,” Mr. Travers said at the 
meeting, “ was, in some way, connected with the 
Douglass family. There is money in the affair, 
37 


38 


DOROTHY DALE 


however it may concern Burlock and Mrs. Doug¬ 
lass, and this stranger is after the cash.” 

“ But what in the world has these children to 
do with that? ” asked the chairman. 

Ralph Willoby stood up. 

“ It seems, Mr. Chairman,” he said, “ that the 
first time the man gave us trouble was when we 
sent to learn something about Mrs. Douglass’ 
death. He secured the notes to prevent us from 
publishing anything about the lady. Then he 
threatened to blow up the Bugle office if we did 
print an obituary. This did not intimidate us, 
and when the paper was out he waited for the 
little boys, sons of Major Dale, to harm them pos¬ 
sibly. It was then that one of the girls saw and 
recognized him, and he, being sure of this, made 
off. A few minutes later he intercepted both girls 
on the stairs, tried to frighten them with some 
drug, took the papers from Miss Dorothy Dale, 
and again made his escape.” 

This was by far the most intelligent account 
of the affair yet given, and after its recital many 
of the men thought they could see a solution of 
the mystery. 

“ But how do you associate all this with Miles 
Burlock?” Ralph was questioned by the chair¬ 


man: 


A CLEW, 


39 


“ I know Mrs. Douglass had a special interest 
in that man,” went on Ralph. “ I have known 
her to give him money to buy respectable clothes 
with, and,— well there is no need to make public 
our brother’s misfortunes. At any rate, it seems 
plain to me that this stranger was trying to keep 
the news of Mrs. Douglass’ death away from Bur- 
lock.” 

“ Has any one seen Burlock lately ? ” was next 
asked. 

No one had; in fact his absence had been no¬ 
ticed by many present. He was not a common 
drunkard, and that was probably why such an in¬ 
terest was manifested in his possible entire refor¬ 
mation. 

This was all of importance that occurred at the 
meeting, and the committee adjourned with in¬ 
structions to continue their work. 

It was a beautiful spring evening. The air 
was soft with blossoms, and a perfumed dew made 
all of Dalton like a rose garden. 

Major Dale was improving rapidly, in fact he 
had recovered so quickly that this evening he in¬ 
sisted upon sitting out of doors for a few minutes. 
The doctor had discontinued calling, and* said the 
attack was more of overfatigue from the march 


DOROTHY DALE 


4 ° 

on Memorial Day than anything else. Both Dor¬ 
othy and Tavia had been absent from school the 
past week but this was Sunday evening, and they 
would both go back to-morrow r . 

Dorothy went over to talk about it with her 
friend. 

“ Well, it will be something to have another 
chance at Lady Sarah,” said Tavia, when Dorothy 
had finished telling her to be sure and have her 
father write an excuse to hand to Miss Ellis. “ I 
don’t mind school so much when there is some¬ 
thing else to think of in between. And the girls 
will be tickled too, for they all love a good fight.” 

“ Now, Tavia, you must stop that kind of talk 
if you are going to be a friend of mine,” coun¬ 
seled Dorothy. “ I cannot be considered your 
friend if you will not be — ladylike —” 

“ Like Lady Sarah,” Tavia finished, laughing. 
u Well, all right, Doro dear,” and she gave her 
chum a bear-like hug, “ I’ll be as good as pie,— 
lemon meringue at that,— so don’t worry any 
more.” 

“Have you heard anything about the man?” 
Dorothy asked cautiously, for it was almost dark, 
and the girls were walking back to the Dale home¬ 
stead. 

“ Not a word,” answered Tavia, “ except that 


A CLEW 


4i 


father thinks he has gone out of Dalton alto¬ 
gether.” 

“ And I have not seen Miles Burlock all week,” 
commented Dorothy, “ You know I had been try¬ 
ing to get him to reform.” 

“ Everybody seems to be trying to do that.” 

“ Well, Ralph told me he had seen Burlock cry¬ 
ing like a baby one day because a little girl asked 
him for a penny. And Ralph thinks perhaps 
there was some little girl in Miles’ story,— a 
daughter maybe — and he suggested that I try my 
influence with Miles.” 

“ Did he cry like a baby over you? ” teased Ta- 
via, with poor appreciation of her friend’s efforts 
to help along the Liquor Crusade. 

“ Now please, Tavia, don’t be absurd. There 
is something wonderfully winning about Mr. Bur¬ 
lock.” 

“ Of course there is. Wicked people are al¬ 
ways winners.” 

“ I won’t tell you one thing more! ” 

“ Now Doro! Doro! You know I love to 
hear you talk that way. And if it were not so 
dark I could see your eyes show how deep they are, 
just like the Jacks-in-the-Pulpit I gathered in the 
woods yesterday. You are nothing like a wild 
flower, more like a beautiful pink and white hya- 


42 


DOROTHY DALE 


cinth, that grows in the Douglass garden; but 
sometimes, when you pretend to be angry, you 
make me think of the wood flowers. They have 
such a way of blooming best when some other 
growing thing tries to stop them. Ja^ks-in-the- 
Pulpit grow right up through stones, and bloom 
in tangles of poison ivy.” 

“ I am sure I have no right to compare myself 
with flowers,” answered the other pleasantly, for 
she always admired her friend’s poetic ideas, al¬ 
though other people might laugh at them. 

“ Shows she is thoughtful, anyway,” Dorothy 
would tell herself, “ and that is what Ralph meant 
when he said she could not make serious mistakes 
when she followed the advice of her kind heart.” 

The Dale house could be seen through the trees 
now. Voices were heard outside; perhaps the boys 
playing some games. 

“ I’ll leave you here,” said Tavia, “ you are not 
afraid of bugaboos are you? ” 

“ Not a bit,” answered Dorothy, laughing. 
u Be sure to be on time at school to-morrow. No 
use adding coals to the fire.” 

“ It depends on whether you intend to wash, 
bake, or iron. Now I am going to do all three 
at school to-morrow, so I may as well keep up a 


A CLEW 


43 


good, warm fire; ” and giving her chum a hearty- 
hug Tavia started off. 

Dorothy stopped as she neared the piazza. 
Surely that was a strange voice. A man was 
talking very earnestly to her father. 

It was Miles Burlock! 


CHAPTER V 


MILES BURLOCK 

What could that man want of her father? 

And what was so mysterious about their conver¬ 
sation that reached her ears in spite of her attempt¬ 
ing to enter the house without intruding upon her 
father’s company? 

Her name was being spoken, and why would 
Aunt Libby not open that door? 

“ There she is now,” said Major Dale, as Doro¬ 
thy gave one more knock. “ Daughter, come this 
way. We are waiting for you.” 

How hard her heart beat! And how foolish 
she was to be nervous! 

u This gentleman,” began Major Dale, “ wants 
you to hear a story. It may be sad for ears so 
young, but perhaps the knowledge that you have 
helped Mr. Burlock to settle one point in this story 
may make it more interesting to you.” 

The faint moonlight, that now streamed from 
the spring sky, made a silvery glow upon the faces 
44 


MILES BURLOCK 


45 


of the two men, and even in the shadows, that 
of Miles Burlock showed features firm and what 
might be called handsome. Dorothy’had often 
seen him before, but he had never looked that 
way. His face was clearer now he was changed. 

“ Child,” he said, extending his hand to her, 
tl You need not fear Miles Burlock now. He is 
a man — no longer a slave to rum — but awake 
at last.” 

“ I am so glad! ” Dorothy stammered. 

“ Yes, that day you took my hand, although it 
was not fit for yours, and the way you asked me to 
join in the League work came like a miracle of 
igrace. Perhaps it is — because — because you 
are so like the child I lost.” 

He bowed his head, and for a moment, was si¬ 
lent, then he looked at Dorothy again. 

“ As you are the one chosen to help this man 
find himself — for he has been morally lost for 
years,— I feel it may be that you, too, may help 
me find my own child,” Miles Burlock went on. 
“ At any rate it is best that you should hear the 
story, for when men like us have passed away the 
children may be here to remember what others will 
be glad to forget about me — to forget that I 
tried to undo the wrong I had done to those lost 
to me now.” 


4 6 


DOROTHY DALE 


Major Dale opened the door to the sitting 
room, and there the man continued his story. 

“ As a boy I was cared for by an over-indul 
gent aunt, and I have often thought that the fact 
of having lost my own mother might, in some way v 
make an excuse to heaven for me, for the boy 
or girl who never knows a mother has suffered 
more than mortal can count,— in ways more nu¬ 
merous than mortal can see, and a motherless babe 
is the saddest story in all human history. Well, 
money had been left for me, and this too, I believe, 
was an inherited wrong, for too early in life had I 
begun to feel independent. Later that indifference 
to discipline grew to recklessness, and then the 
final evil came in the shape of bad company.” 

Major Dale stopped the speaker for a moment 
and Dorothy was glad to move a little nearer her 
father. Somehow, this strange story was unlike 
anything she had ever heard, and while it fasci¬ 
nated her, it also frightened her, for she had not 
before known anyone who had lived such a wild 
life. 

“ And here is where your daughter, Major Dale, 
has come so strangely into my life,” went on Mr. 
Burlock. “ The good people of this town have 
been working hard to save such men as I have 
been — but no longer will I rank myself with 


MILES BURLOCK 


47 


such. That young man, Ralph Willoby, had 
pleaded with me in a way few could have resisted, 
but the trouble was, I was in the hands of a man 
who had been my evil genius for years, and no 
matter how firm was my resolve to get away from 
temptation, this tyrant would manage to put the 
poison into my hands. Of course I thought him 
a friend,— that was what he had always pretended 
to be,— but through the strange interference of 
this little girl,”— laying his hand on Dorothy,— 
“ I have seen the light; the scales have fallen from 
my eyes.” 

The awful face of the villainous man, who had 
so frightened Dorothy on the stairs of the Bugle 
office, seemed to flash into that room. Could he 
be that evil genius? 

“ Yes, Major Dale,” he went on, “ you must 
have heard by this time that a man waylaid your 
daughter, grabbed the papers from her hands and 
tried to frighten her so that there would be no out¬ 
cry until he had made his escape. Well, that man 
was no other than he who put liquor to my lips 
when I was a boy; who took me from my home 
when I was a husband, and made me sign papers 
that would leave my young wife helpless in all the 
affairs that she should rightfully control. Not sat¬ 
isfied with this record of villainy, he, at last, sepa- 


48 


DOROTHY DALE 


rated me from my wife and daughter, and 
though I have searched for years for them, it has 
all been in vain.” 

The man stopped. Tears were streaming down 
his pallid face and the sorrow of a lifetime seemed 
about to break the bonds of human endurance. 
Major Dale put his hand on the others shoulder. 

“ Cheer up, brother,” he said, “ There may yet 
be time. Life is with you still.” 

‘‘Ah, but have I not searched all this week? 
And did not that man promise to take me to 
them? ” 

Dorothy had shrunk back when Mr. Burlock 
said the man who had put terror in her own life 
was the same person who had destroyed his happi¬ 
ness. Then it was as Ralph said,— Miles Bur- 
lock did figure in the mysterious case. 

The evening was melting into night. Major 
Dale was still feeble from his illness and his 
daughter, quick to see the look of pain on his 
loved face, determined to stop the story for the 
time being. 

“ You must lie down, father,” she said, putting 
her arm about him, “ You know the doctor said to 
be very careful.” 

With a promptness that bespoke good breeding 
the visitor arose. 


MILES BURLOCK 


49 ' 


“ Pray pardon me,” he said politely. “ I have 
been very selfish. I will not disturb you longer. 
I will come again to-morrow.” 

“We will be very glad, indeed, to help you, if 
we can,” the major replied, rather faintly, for 
Dorothy had not spoken a moment too soon for 
his comfort . 1 

“ The real matter with which I would ask you 
to help me is the putting aside, now, of the money 
which is in my name, and which should be secured 
against enemies of my poor wife and daughter,” 
said Miles Burlock. “ I will never again trust 
anything to the uncertain time when they may be 
found, for I believe now they are being kept away 
from me by this same scoundrel, Andrew Ander¬ 
son. It may be well for you to know his name.” 

“ And where is he? ” asked the major, his voice 
showing the feeling he could not hide, a deter¬ 
mination to deal severely with the man who had 
threatened Dorothy. 

“ That is something I would not dare to tell 
even if I knew. My only hope of getting these 
affairs settled so that I may sometime make 
amends to my dear ones, is by keeping away from 
Anderson. It might not detain you too long to 
say that last week my friend, my counselor, and 
my benefactress Marian Douglass, passed away.. 


50 


DOROTHY DALE 


For years she held safely for me the principal of 
the money I had been wasting. Now that she is 
gone, and he knows it, I must at once make it se¬ 
cure in some other way. To-morrow, if you will 
allow me, I will come again and bring witnesses. 
No other man in Dalton would be so worthy of 
the trust. Thousands of dollars have almost made 
themselves in ways planned and carried out by 
Marian Douglass, who held this money both for me 
and from me, but now a part of this must be used 
to find my wife and my daughter Nellie, and then to 
run down their persecutors, for I have been a tool, 
simply, in the hands of those who took what I 
had and who have been trying for years to get the 
rest. If nothing happens to me to-night I will 
come to-morrow morning, after that we may tell 
the town who it was who tried to spoil the fair 
name of Dalton.” 

He pressed Dorothy’s hand to his lips as he 
left. She felt a tear fall upon it; and she knew 
that all her prayers and all her efforts to save this 
man from his evil ways had not been in vain, and 
with the happiness that comes always in the knowl¬ 
edge of good accomplished, a new resolve came 
into her heart — she would some day find Nellie 
Burlock. 


CHAPTER VI 


AT THE SWING 

The strange story of the reformed man filled 
Dorothy’s brain with exciting thoughts that night, 
and it was almost morning when she finally fell 
asleep. Even then she dreamed of all;—the for¬ 
tune her father was to have in trust, the wicked 
man who had been trying to get it, and the poor 
wife and child who were hidden away somewhere, 
perhaps now starving. In her dreams she became 
Nellie, and she tried, oh, so hard, to find her own 
father, the dear major. The worry of it even in 
sleep gave Dorothy a severe headache, and when 
she awoke she found her nerves still throbbing 
and her brow hot and feverish. 

“ Oh, I’ll be so glad to go to school to-day,” 
she thought. “ I am tired of all this worry, and it 
will be good to be back with the girls again.” 

“ Doro, let me in! Let me in! ” little Roger 
was calling at her door, and before she had a 
chance to finish dressing, her little brother had his 
soft white arms about her neck. 

5i 


52 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ Now, don’t you look. You can’t see until 
I’ve given you a quart of kisses, then you have to 
promise not to cry.” 

“Cry? What for?” she asked. 

“ Cross your heart, first,” he insisted. 

Then she saw that his curls were gone. 

“ Oh, darling! ” she exclaimed, “ who did it?” 

“ Jake, the barber. And daddy said so. He 
said you should not bother with tangles any more. 
Now don’t you dare cry. You promised.” 

The girl took the little boy in her arms. Why 
did they do it just that day, when her head ached, 
and she had so many worries? Those beautiful 
curls! How she had loved them! 

“ Now Doro, you are going to cry, ’cause your 
eyes look like polly-wogs. And you must be glad 
that I’m a man, like Joe, now,” and the boy sprang 
from her arms, and stood up like a “ major ” be¬ 
fore her. 

Then he was a “ man,” and her baby no longer. 
It was not the curls so much, but taking her baby 
from her, that hurt so. 

The loving mother-spirit, that had made Doro¬ 
thy Dale the girl she was, seemed to grow stronger 
now with every tear that clouded her eyes. Yes, 
he had been her baby, and she had loved him with 
a wonderful love — sent into her heart, she al- 


AT THE SWING 


53 


ways thought, by the mother in heaven who 
watched over them both. 

“ You have been a very good boy,” she managed 
to say, “ and Joe is a very good boy, so, if you 
can be like him, perhaps I will not be so lonely 
without the other Roger.” 

It was an hour later that Dorothy met Tavia 
in the lane and hurried to school with her. Of 
course she could not tell her friend what it was 
that made her so quiet, and it really was hard 
to keep a secret like that of the mysterious man 
from Tavia. 

Perhaps she could tell her in the afternoon, by 
that time Mr. Burlock would likely have all his 
affairs attended to and then he said he would tell 
the town who the man was for whom the people 
had been looking. 

As Dorothy and Tavia came into the schoolyard 
they saw Sarah Ford on the swing, that hung from 
a heavy square frame. 

Down went Tavia’s books on the grass. 

“First for a run under!” she called, and in¬ 
stantly a line of girls formed, while Tavia led, 
of course, with such a “ run under ” that Sarah 
tried to jump to save herself from another like it. 

“Hold fast!” shouted the next girl, who al¬ 
ready had her arms up to the swing board. Then 


54 


DOROTHY DALE 


one after another they jumped to reach the board, 
and send it higher and higher until the girl on the 
swing threatened to turn over the frame. 

“ Oh, please stop! ” she cried, “ there goes the 
bell! ” 

One more “ good push ” sent her up into the 
air, and the girls were all gone — school w r as in. 

For one moment Sarah held on and then jumped 
— into the remains of the janitor’s rubbish fire! 

Sarah Ford picked herself up. Her white dress 
was covered with soot and dirt. The classes were 
called by this time, and she could not go into the 
cloak room. 

“ Oh, that horrid mean thing, Tavia Travers! ” 
she thought. “ I will not give the girls a chance 
to laugh at me,” and, darting out of the gate, she 
ran down the lane — away from school. 

At the end of the lane the girl turned into an 
orchard and sank down under an apple tree. 

Had she really run away from school? She 
could not turn back now, and what would her 
father say? He was so severe about school, he 
never would take any excuse. 

The black soot had almost all blown off her 
dress. If she had not been so proud always, about 
her looks, perhaps she would not have noticed it 
much. 


AT THE SWING 


55 


“ Oh, what will I do to that girl! ” she thought. 
“ It was all her fault, and I’ll lose my place too.” 

The sense of bitterness that filled Sarah Ford’s 
heart was an entirely different sentiment from that 
which animated Tavia Travers when she made up, 
the “ running under ” game. The one was the 
sense of revenge, bitter and cunning; the other was 
a matter of school girl’s fun, pure and simple. 

Sitting there on the grass that revengeful spirit 
took the form of a resolve in Sarah’s heart — to 
“pay back” Tavia Travers. 


CHAPTER VII 


WHAT HAPPENED IN THE ORCHARD 

Within the schoolroom more than one girl 
was wondering what had happened to Sarah Ford. 
Dorothy was worried. Hers was a nature that took 
all things seriously, while Tavia insisted on look¬ 
ing on “ the easy side ” as she termed Hope. 
She was hoping with all her heart now, that Sarah 
Ford would soon enter the room, but the morning 
wore on and no Sarah appeared. 

At last recess came. Such whispering among 
the girls — so many theories advanced to account 
for Sarah’s disappearance. 

“ Playin’ hookey,” was all Tavia said, in the way 
she had of making light of things. 

“ Perhaps she was hurt,” whispered Dorothy to 
Alice MacAllister, a girl who had always been a 
close friend. 

“ I don’t think so,” said Alice, “ Even had she 
fallen there was nothing she could strike on, and I 
have often jumped when I could not go one bit 
higher.” 


56 


WHAT HAPPENED IN THE ORCHARD 57j 


“ She may have fallen on the rubbish heap,” sug¬ 
gested one of the older girls. 

At last school was dismissed. 

“ I’ll wager we find her down the lane taking 
Widow Drew’s apple blossoms,” remarked Tavia, 
as she and Dorothy started for home. “ She may 
be going to another party and want a change of 
decorations,— she wore honey-suckle last time.” 

“ Hush! ” Dorothy interrupted, “ I thought I 
heard —” 

“ Some one moan? So did I,” declared Tavia. 

They listened a moment. 

“ There it is again,” said Dorothy. “ Oh, I’m 
sure that’s Sarah! ” 

“ It was down in the orchard,” went on Tavia. 

“ Help! oh, help me! ” came a voice, and this 
time there was no mistaking the cry; a girl was 
calling. 

Springing over the fence, with Dorothy follow¬ 
ing her, Tavia ran through the deep grass to the 
spot from which the sounds came. 

Under the apple tree, suffering and helpless, 
they found Sarah Ford. 

“ Oh, what has happened!” wailed Dorothy, 
bending over her. 

“ You have killed me! ” gasped Sarah. 

“Is it your ankle?” Tavia asked, trying to 


58 DOROTHY DALE 

find out what could be done to get Sarah home. 

“ Yes, and you did it! ” declared the suffering 
girl. “ You gave me that last push. Oh,— 
oh. Get a doctor — or I will surely die! ” and she 
buried her head deeper in the grass, writhing in 
agony. 

“Can’t you move, Sarah dear?” Dorothy 
pleaded, “ If you only could, perhaps we could 
make a hand chair and carry you.” 

“ Oh, it would kill me. My leg is surely 
broken. I can feel the bone. Oh, dear! Oh 
dear me! What shall I do ? What shall I do ? ” 
and the unfortunate girl burst into hysterical weep¬ 
ing. 

“ I’ll run and get a wagon — or a carriage — 
or something,” Tavia said nervously, for she was 
very much frightened at Sarah’s condition. 

“ They never could drive in this rough place,” 
Dorothy sighed. “ Listen! There is Joe. Call 
him. He will help us.” 

In a moment Joe Dale was beside his sister. 

“ Why, a man must carry her, of course,” 
he declared promptly, “ I just met Ralph Wil- 
loby —” 

A shrill whistle from Joe, followed by his call¬ 
ing loudly the young man’s name, soon brought 
Ralph to the scene. 


WHAT HAPPENED IN THE ORCPIARD 59 


“ Oh, I am so glad it is you! ” said Dorothy. 
“ You will know just what to do, and we — 
don’t want — a crowd.” 

By this time Sarah showed signs of fainting; 
her breath came in gasps and her face was very 
white. 

“ Run over to the spring Joe, and fetch a cup of 
water,” Ralph commanded. “ Now, Miss Ford, 
you must put your head down flat on the grass — 
this way. There, that’s it. Now try to straighten 
out so that you can breathe better.” 

But every move that the suffering girl tried to 
make caused her such pain that Dorothy fell upon 
her knees and tried to fan a breath into her white 
face, to prevent her, if possible, from becoming un¬ 
conscious. 

“ Here’s Joe, with the water,” exclaimed Tavia, 
running to meet the boy, and hurrying back with 
the cool liquid. 

Ralph pressed the drink to Sarah’s lips, while 
Dorothy waited to bathe the pale face with what 
water might remain in the cup. 

“Oh!” sighed Sarah. “I feel — better. 
I thought I was going to die.” 

“ You were faint,” Ralph exclaimed. “ Do you 
think you can sit up now? ” 

Not waiting for a reply, the young man slipped 


6o 


DOROTHY DALE 


his hand under the girl’s shoulders, and the next 
minute he had her in his arms. 

It was a sad little procession that followed him. 
Dorothy almost in tears; Tavia with eyes already 
overflowing, while Joe kept very close to Ralph, 
ready to offer any assistance in carrying Sarah to 
her home. 

But Ralph was well able to manage his burden, 
for the girl was not heavy, and she helped her¬ 
self some by keeping her arms clasped about his 
neck. Fortunately the Ford home was not far 
away. 

“ There’s Mr. Ford,” whispered Joe to Tavia, 
as they reached the gate, and at that moment the 
man on the porch raised his head from his paper, 
and saw them coming. 

Mr. Ford seemed dazed — he did not stir for a 
moment but sat there staring wildly at the group 
now coming up the path. 

“ Sarah has hurt her ankle,” Joe hurried 
to say, and as his voice roused the man from his 
frightened attitude, he sprang up and reached 
to take his daughter from the young man’s 
arms. 

“ I had better put her on a couch,” objected 
Ralph, “ Her ankle seems quite painful.” 

“ What has happened? ” asked the father open- 


WHAT HAPPENED IN THE ORCHARD 61 


ing the door of the sitting room and making ready 
the couch under the window. 

“ The girls did it,” gasped Sarah, “ that girl 
there, Tavia Travers! ” 

“ You! ” exclaimed the man, making a threat¬ 
ening move towards the accused girl. 

“ It was an accident,” interposed Dorothy, “ we 
do not know how it happened; we found her under 
a tree in the orchard.” 

“ They do know,” persisted the injured girl. 
“They sent me up so high! — oh, get a doctor, 
quick! ” 

Ralph had now placed Sarah on the couch, and 
while Mr. Ford hurried to call his wife, Ralph and 
Joe hastened off for Dr. Gray, leaving the three 
girls together. 

“ Tell us about it,” Dorothy pleaded, not want¬ 
ing to leave Sarah until she had obtained some 
idea of how the accident had occurred. 

“ I’ll tell Squire Sanders,” answered the girl on 
the couch, “ and then you will be arrested, every 
one of you who — who tried to kill me! ” 

“Come!” whispered Tavia to Dorothy as 
Mrs. Ford appeared. “ It only makes matters 
worse for us to be here.” 

Then as the mother fell weeping by the couch 
Tavia and Dorothy left the room. 


CHAPTER VIII 


SQUIRE SANDERS AT SCHOOL 

Dorothy had always been able to influence 
Tavia, and to show her that to do right would 
be best in the end, although the doing of it might, 
at the time, seem very hard, and very unreason¬ 
able; but all her efforts now to induce her friend to 
go with her to school that afternoon and make the 
necessary explanation to Miss Ellis, were without 
avail — Tavia absolutely refused to go. 

“ No matter what comes of it,” Dorothy told 
herself, as she walked sadly along the path, 
through the lane back to the schoolyard alone, 
“ I’ll stand by Tavia. She meant no harm, and 
was no more to blame than any one else. But I 
do wish, she had come this afternoon. It looks as 
if she were afraid or guilty, to run away from it 
all” 

The fact that Miles Burlock had not appeared 
at the Dale home that morning, according to prom¬ 
ise was of little interest to Dorothy now. Some- 
62 


SQUIRE SANDERS AT SCHOOL 


63 


thing might have happened to him. Of course, he 
certainly seemed determined to settle the business 
at once, but Dorothy’s head and heart were too 
full of her school friends’ troubles to give much 
thought to the Burlock matter. Major Dale had 
appeared concerned about it however, and had 
questioned Dorothy as to whether any one had 
mentioned to her, at school or on her way there, 
the fact that the strange man, likely Andrew An¬ 
derson, had been seen again in Dalton. 

“ Be very careful to go around by the road,” 
her father had cautioned her on leaving, “ and 
come directly home from school as I will be anx¬ 
ious,” he said, when he kissed her good-bye. 

But Dorothy reached school safely, and was soon 
surrounded by a crowd of curious, and not too 
thoughtful girls, whose incessant questions added 
much to her nervous condition. Sharp pains shot 
through her head, for the excitement of the day 
had caused the ache of early morning to become 
a bad attack of neuralgia. 

“ Please do not bother me so,” she pleaded, as 
the girls plied question after question. 

They had heard, of course, of the accident, but 
how it had happened, and what had become of 
Tavia, whether she run away or been arrested — 
these and many similar queries kept the excited 


64 


DOROTHY DALE 


scholars buzzing about Dorothy like bees about a 
hive. 

“ I do not know how it happened,” she insisted, 
“ I wish I did. We found her under the tree, 
and helped her home. That is all I know 
about it.” 

The class took its place. Miss Ellis began to 
speak but was surprised at that moment to see old 
Squire Sanders enter the room. 

“ Oh, oh, he’s after Tavia! ” whispered May 
Egner to Dorothy. “ I’m glad she is not here.” 

“ Take your seats, young ladies,” Miss Ellis 
directed the class, and then the squire assuming 
his business attitude, that of holding his black¬ 
thorn cane well out in front of his left foot, which 
member in turn was in advance of its mate, and 
planting the cane down firmly twice, he began: 

“ I’ve come here to investigate a complaint ” 
and he rapped his stick noisily on the floor. 
“ Where’s the girl who threw Sarah Ford from 
the swing, and broke her ankle? ” 

“ Why,” stammered Miss Ellis, “ I have not 
heard of any such occurrence. Does any young 
lady here know anything of it?” 

Dorothy was on her feet instantly. Her flushed 
face betrayed the emotion she tried bravely to hide, 



WELL, THIS MATTER MUST BE FULLY INVESTIGATED, DECLARED 

THE SQUIRE— PagC 65 















SQUIRE SANDERS AT SCHOOL 65 


but when she spoke her voice rang with truth and 
confidence. 

“ Sarah Ford was not thrown from the swing,” 
she began. “We found her suffering under the 
tree in the orchard. When the bell rang this 
morning she was on the swing, and I was the last 
girl to enter the hall. I saw her on the swing 
then.” 

A pin, dropped, might have been heard in the 
room. It was so like a trial to have Dorothy 
there “ giving testimony.” 

“ Well, that ain’t the story I have,” drawled the 
squire. “ Where’s that wild harum-scarum Tavia 
Travers? She’s the one that’s blamed.” 

“Tavia Travers! ” called the astonished Miss 
Ellis, but of course there came no answer. 

“ Absent! ” answered a girl from the back row. 

“Can you tell us where she is?” Miss Ellis 
asked Dorothy. 

“ At home I believe,” answered Dorothy simply. 

“ Well, this matter must be fully investigated,” 
declared the squire, “ thoroughly and fully in¬ 
vestigated. Girls or boys who cut up tricks must 
be punished. Dalton will not stand any nonsense 
when it comes to life and limb,” and again the 
cane thumped the floor. “ I propose, as squire 


66 


DOROTHY DALE 


of the borough, to run this thing down to the very 
end. School girls now-a-days put on too many 
airs — copyin’ after college rowdies with their 
pranks! ” 

While the teacher and squire were talking in 
the hall the pupils took advantage of the oppor¬ 
tunity to express their opinions of the case, and 
what were meant to be whispered remarks soon 
reached a pitch of voice that called for remon¬ 
strance from the squire; and he rapped his cane 
vigorously on the door. This had the effect of 
restoring order, and also of bringing punishment 
upon the entire class for the remainder of the 
afternoon. 

“ To think,” began Miss Ellis severely, on re¬ 
turning to the room, “ that I should be so dis¬ 
graced. Not enough to have one or two girls 
accused of — of a crime — but that the rest should 
so misbehave before an officer of Dalton! I shall 
be obliged to send to the president of the Board; 
something I have never before had to do. But 
this matter must be thoroughly investigated. I 
am very sorry, Miss Dale, that you should be im¬ 
plicated, sorry for your father’s sake. But it all 
comes of associating with girls who — who will 
not be governed by those in proper authority,” 
and the teacher adjusted her glasses, satisfied that 


SQUIRE SANDERS AT SCHOOL 67 


she at least held a position as head of Dalton 
School with dignity and 44 authority ” that such an 
office required. 

Poor Dorothy! Her aching head was now 
bowed on the desk before her, and her sobs were 
so pitiful, even the most thoughtless girl in the 
room was silent and sad to see her weeping so. 

Alice MacAllister sat upright at her desk. Her 
strong face assumed a daring expression — that 
of defiance. Alice was counted a good-natured 
girl. Something of a romp, perhaps, for her com¬ 
panions often called her 44 Mack ” and she showed 
a preference for the boyish nickname. 

But to see Dorothy weeping so, accused unjustly l 

Alice raised her hand for permission to speak. 
Miss Ellis signed for her to go on. 

Again that sense of suppressed excitement was 
felt in the class room. Something else was going 
to happen. 

44 Miss Ellis,” began Alice in a firm voice, 
u Dorothy Dale is not to blame —” 

44 That is not for you to decide.” 

44 But we were all there, and know as much 
about it as she does.” 

44 At least she knows enough to keep her place. 
Sit down at once,” and the teacher looked very 
much annoyed. 


68 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ Not until you have heard me,” and Alice 
raised her voice a little. 

“ Go on! Go on! ” murmured the girls about 
her. “ Make her listen.” 

“ Sarah Ford was never hurt in the school 
yard,” declared Alice. “ My brother saw her 
running down the lane just as the bell rang, and 
she could not stir when Dorothy and Tavia found 
her.” 

“Be silent this moment!” called Miss Ellis, 
rapping her ruler on the desk. “Tour brother’s 
story is of no account in this matter.” 

Dorothy raised her head. The room was in 
a commotion. Miss Ellis seemed too surprised at 
the girl’s audacity to try to restore order. Per¬ 
haps no one was more surprised than Alice her¬ 
self, for when she spoke first she had no idea of 
going so far,— it was that remark reflecting upon 
her brother’s veracity that angered her. 

Then the sobbing of Dorothy — Alice could 
not stand it to see her crying that way; better 
brave dismissal than sit by and listen to that. 

With one glance towards Alice — a glance full 
of gratitude and love. Dorothy arose and asked 
to be excused. 

“I must go home—” 
have such a sick headache.” 


she stammered. “ I 


SQUIRE SANDERS AT SCHOOL 69 

“ Very well,” replied the teacher. “ You may 
go.” 

“ May I also be excused?” asked Alice, not 
boldly but with politeness restored to her voice. 

“ By no means,” declared Miss Ellis. “ I will 
not brook such insolence.” 

“ I thought I might help Dorothy home,” Alice 
explained, taking her seat again. 

Meanwhile Dorothy was looking for her hat 
in the cloak room. It was a small stuffy place, and 
the day was unusually sultry, so that Dorothy felt 
dizzy there, trying to find her hat — and trying 
to find— Oh! what was the matter? She could 
not see! Oh, if some one would only come! 

Then, with her hands before her, she stumbled 
and fell,— and all became a terrible blank. 


CHAPTER IX 


THE AFTERMATH 

What a day that had been at the Dalton School 
for girls! Sarah Ford was at home suffering 
from a badly sprained ankle; Dorothy Dale had 
been taken home ill from over-excitement, and 
Tavia Travers, for whom Squire Sanders had been 
searching, was not to be found anywhere. 

The interference of Squire Sanders worried Miss 
Ellis. A man, especially an official, knows ab¬ 
solutely nothing about girls and their ways, and 
he is sure to antagonize them in any attempt to 
force them to betray one another’s confidences. 

But while the teacher, alone in the school, was 
reflecting upon the tasks she should soon under¬ 
take to perform; Dorothy lay in her little room, 
hot and feverish, with Aunt Libby beside her, 
bathing the throbbing head tenderly with cold 
water and vinegar. 

“ You’ve been doin’ too much,” muttered the 
old nurse, “ a-runnin’ newspapers, helpin’ drunk¬ 
ards, teachin’ housework to that Tavia, though 
70 


THE AFTERMATH 


7i 


’twas a charity to show the child how to iron her 
own frocks. But you see deary, it was too much 
for you, you as has always had Aunt Libby at 
your elbow,” and the old linen napkin, the softest 
of those ever ready for headaches, was dipped 
again into the blue bowl of cool water and strong 
vinegar, then pressed lightly to the feverish brow. 

“ Try to sleep a bit now,” went on the nurse, 
as Dorothy looked gratefully into the wrinkled 
face. “ All you want is rest, just a good, quiet 
rest.” 

Dorothy closed her eyes. They burned so she 
pulled the napkin from her forehead down over 
the hot lids. That eased the pain, and perhaps 
she could sleep, she thought. 

Watching her patient closely for a moment, 
Aunt Libby moved noiselessly to the window, 
pulled down the shade, pushed the chair firmly 
against it so the breeze might not disturb it, and 
left the room. 

As she turned in the narrow hallway her ging¬ 
ham skirt brushed the crouching form of Joe, 
who had been waiting at his sister’s door, but the 
aged lady did not know it. 

Joe and Roger had been forbidden admission 
to their sister’s room. She was to be left en¬ 
tirely alone, in absolute quiet; even Major Dale, 


72 


DOROTHY DALE 


who was assured the attack was not more than a 
siick headache, did not presume to disturb his 
daughter, but Joe had been waiting there in the 
hallway. He had an important message to de¬ 
liver to his sister, one that “ would not keep.” 

The boy had removed his shoes and now he 
stole noiselessly into the room. 

“Dorothy! Dorothy!” he whispered. “Are 
you asleep? ” 

Dorothy pushed the napkin from her eyes, and 
raised her arm to invite her brother’s kiss. 

“ Poor, dear Doro! ” he murmured, pressing 
his cheek to her hot brow. “ I am sorry for you 
— every one is,” and he kissed her again. “ But 
I have to hurry. Aunt Libby may come back.” 

He was looking for something in his blouse. 

“ I had a note from Tavia,” he said. “ She 
has gone away —” 

“ Gone away! ” gasped the sick girl. 

“ Oh, only for a little while. Where is that 
note! ” 

The boy unbuttoned his waist, he even shook 
it out straight from the string, but no note was 
to be found in its folds. 

“ I could not have lost it! ” he said, now quite 
alarmed that the note should have gotten out of 
his possession. 


THE AFTERMATH 


73 


“ What was it about? ” asked Dorothy. 

“ Why — about — about why she went away,” 
stammered the boy, helplessly. 

“ Don’t you know what was in it? ” 

“ No, it was sealed, and no one but you was to 
open it. Where could I have dropped it? I had 
it — let me see.” 

The fear that he had dropped the missive where 
it might be picked up by those not in sympathy 
with Tavia, and her troubles, now troubled Joe 
sorely. He had promised the girl, most par¬ 
ticularly, that he would deliver the note to his sis¬ 
ter that night, and he waited at Dorothy’s door, 
risking the displeasure of Aunt Libby in keeping 
that promise. But now the very worst thing had 
happeped — the note was lost! 

“Never mind,” whispered Dorothy, “perhaps 
you will find it in your jacket. I am sure she only 
said good-bye; there could not have been anything 
so very important in it.” 

“ But if any of the others should get it,” he 
sighed. “ They could find out where she went, 
and she most particularly wanted to hide for a 
few days.” 

“ Hide! ” 

“ Yes, she told me she was sure Sarah would 
wake up in a few days and make a ‘clean breast 


74 


DOROTHY DALE 


of it.’ Tavia declared she had done nothing 
wrong herself, and that she was not afraid of 
anybody, but, she said, there was going to be 
trouble, and she never ran into trouble when she 
could run the other way.” 

“ Well, dear,” said the sister, “ you had better 
go to bed now. I am so tired and I feel a little 
like sleeping. If you find the note, bring it to 
me in the morning; if you do not find it, there is 
no need to worry. Tavia will be back to see me 
as soon as she hears I am sick,” and, giving the 
boy a good night kiss, Dorothy closed her eyes, 
while Joe crept out of the room as noiselessly as 
he had entered it. 


CHAPTER X 


APPLE BLOSSOM MAGIC 

Two long, dreary days had passed. Dorothy 
was well again, but, acting upon the advice of 
Miss Ellis, she remained away from school, to 
grow strong and take a little rest in the fresh air; 
to be out of doors as much as possible, the teacher 
said. 

Alice had been to see Dorothy, and had as¬ 
sured her that “ every thing was all right,” even 
the misconduct of Alice in “ talking back ” had 
been forgiven, the girl herself declared. 

But there was no explanation offered as to the 
accident to Sarah Ford. That was still a mystery 
to the school girls. Neither had Tavia returned 
to Dalton. She was visiting her aunt in Roches¬ 
ter Mrs. Travers announced. 

Major Dale was at his office again, and the boys 
were not yet home from school, although the dis¬ 
missal hour had passed. 

There was a rush through the vines at the side 
75 


76 


DOROTHY DALE 


of the porch — the next moment Tavia had Dor¬ 
othy in her arms. 

“ You poor dear! ” she exclaimed between her 
kisses. “ To think that you have been sick all 
alone — without me! ” 

Dorothy leaned back in her chair — happy. 

Tavia was not so much larger or older than 
she, but just at that moment she came like one all 
powerful; Tavia had such a way of being and 
doing. 

“ And all on my account,” went on Tavia. “ I 
declare you have gotten thin,” and she spanned the 
bare wrist of Dorothy lovingly. “ You never 
wrote, of course, as I asked you to.” 

The lost note! Perhaps other important mat¬ 
ters had been overlooked in its disappearance. 

“Is Sarah able to play leap-frog yet?” went 
on Tavia facetiously. “ I hear Squire Sanders has 
been inquiring for me — just me, Tavia Travers. 
Ahem! Also my goodness me! Sakes alive! If 
I had only known the worthy squire wished to hold 
converse with this — me, you know, I certainly 
should have postponed my vacation. Who knows 
what I have missed?” 

Dorothy’s face showed how pleased she was; it 
was so good to hear Tavia rattle on that way. 
As Ralph Willoby had said, her heart was right, 


APPLE BLOSSOM MAGIC 


77 


and so she made few mistakes where love could 
be counted on as her guide. 

Tavia was stroking Dorothy’s head affection¬ 
ately. The two girls sat on the rustic bench, Dor¬ 
othy with her head resting upon the other’s 
shoulder. 

“ I made a discovery in Rochester,” said Tavia, 
when she had exhausted every possible point, cov¬ 
ering the sickness of her friend, the fainting in 
school and all that preceded and followed that oc¬ 
currence. “ Yes, I found out that a woman there, 
who did washing for my aunt, is named Burlock, 
and that she has been deserted by her husband —” 

“Has she a daughter?” interrupted Dorothy. 

“ I don’t know about that. Aunt Mary said 
she was such a strange woman, all the time moving, 
and no one ever could find out just where her 
rooms were. The way one had to do, to get her 
to do washing, was to apply to the Charity 
Bureau.” 

“ But the Bureau must have her address,” said 
Dorothy much interested in the story. 

“ Well, Aunt Mary said they could not keep 
track of her either. They know she is a good 
honest woman, who seems always to be in some 
trouble — looking for her husband, of course. I 
made up my mind that the man she is looking for 


73 


DOROTHY DALE 


is your friend Miles. Have you seen him 
lately? ” 

“ No,” replied Dorothy, thoughtfully. 

“And I’ve got more news,” went on Tavia, 
“ Miss Ellis has planned a picnic for Monday. 
She is going to take our class to Glen Haven Falls. 
Do get strong and come, if you don’t go I will 
not.” 

“ Oh, I am sure I will be all right by that 
time,” answered Dorothy, “ in fact I am well now. 
I am only staying out of school because Miss 
Ellis thought it best. I wonder, Tavia, how w T e 
could ever think her unfair. She is the nicest 
woman — why, when she called she brought me 
jelly, and one of her splendid roses that she prizes 
so much. I felt almost guilty to have spoken of 
her, as I did, about the procession on Memorial 
Day.” 

“ Well, she has not brought me jelly or roses 
yet,” replied Tavia, “ and I hardly think she 
would, even had I the good fortune to be sick in 
bed. Yes, I mean it! I would like to see what 
would happen if I took sick. But no danger. 
Aunt Mary said she would rather feed two men 
than give me what I call enough. It is not really 
enough, you know, but I call it that,” and she 


APPLE BLOSSOM MAGIC 


79 


stretched out on the bench to show how “ de¬ 
liciously lazy ” common health makes a girl. 

“ You certainly do your appetite justice,” said 
Dorothy laughing. “Aunt Libby says it’s one 
thing to eat, and another thing to make your eating 
4 tell.’ Now, you make your food —” 

“ 1 Tell.’ Certainly I do, and make it 4 tell ’ out 
loud too. I weigh — how much do you think? ” 

“ About ninety? ” 

“ One hundred and five,” declared the girl. “ I 
wish you could go aw T ay for a week. I am sure 
you would pick up and get the peaches back in 
your cheeks.” 

“ We will go away in vacation time,” replied 
Dorothy. “ This month will not be long going 
around.” 

“ Now I must run back home. I have not had 
a chance to tell mother a bit of news. You know 
it was the luckiest thing, ma wanted me to go 
to Rochester, and when the fuss came all I had 
to do was clear out. Ma had been waiting for 
me to get a new dress and she was so tickled when 
I said I would go in my old one. You see, Dor¬ 
othy, Aunt Mary gives us lots of things, and no 
one had been out this spring. Nannie, that’s my 
cousin, is just a little larger than I am, and oh, 


8o 


DOROTHY DALE 


you should see the scrumbunctious dress I am go¬ 
ing to wear to the picnic! It is perfectly — 
glorious! ” and Tavia wheeled around on her toe, 
threatening her boasted one hundred and five 
pounds avoirdupois with disaster. 

With a promise to be back again in the evening 
Tavia left Dorothy and hurried across the fields 
to her home. 

“ Things seem to be straightening out,” thought 
Dorothy. “ Every thing is all right at school, 
Tavia is back, now if Sarah would only tell — I 
have a good mind to run over to see her.” 

It was a warm afternoon and Dorothy had no 
need to bother with wraps. Aunt Libby was at the 
side porch so that in passing Dorothy called to 
her she would be back in a short time, then she 
crossed through the orchard, going under the very 
tree in the shade of which Sarah had been found 
suffering. Dorothy stopped and looked up into 
the branches. They were very low, some of them, 
so low that in fruit time girls could pick the ap¬ 
ples without climbing for them. 

The blossoms were almost gone. Small sprays 
lay faded on the grass where careless hands had 
scattered them. 

Somehow, it seemed to Dorothy that the tree 
knew all about the accident; if trees could only 


APPLE BLOSSOM MAGIC 


81 


talk, she thought. Then, picking up a spray of 
the freshest blossoms, she hurried on. 

To Dorothy’s surprise Mrs. Ford was very 
cordial in her welcome. Dorothy had feared the 
mother of the injured girl might not be so pleased 
to see her. 

“ Walk right in,” said Mrs. Ford, opening the 
door. “ I am sure it will do Sarah good to talk 
with you. She is so lonesome and talks in her 
sleep about the girls,” and she led the way to her 
daughter’s room. 

The girl was now sitting up; her injured foot 
rested on a cushioned chair, while her face still 
showed signs of suffering. 

“ Sarah, dear,” began Dorothy with an affec¬ 
tionate embrace, “ I am so glad to see you up.” 

“ Are you ? ” asked the other mechanically. 

“ Yes, indeed,” ignoring her cold manner,” we 
have been so worried about you.” 

“We? Who?” and Sarah toyed nervously 
with the coverlet that was thrown over her knees. 

“ Why all of us; the girls at school. We hope 
you will soon be able to come back.” 

“ I will never go back. I have had all I want 
of Dalton School,” and Sarah tossed her head 
defiantly. 

“ Here is a spray of apple blossoms. I brought 


82 


DOROTHY DALE 


them from the orchard. They are so sweet,” said 
Dorothy, “ I thought they might make you think 
you were out of doors, when you shut your eyes 
and smell of them.” 

She offered the spray to Sarah, but the girl 
made no sign of accepting it. Dorothy was dis¬ 
appointed. She did not mind the sick girl being 
fretful, but she had not expected her to be rude. 

A rather awkward silence followed. Dorothy 
had determined if possible, to reach the heart of 
this queer girl, but her best efforts seemed unsuc¬ 
cessful. 

“ Well, I had better go,” said Dorothy at 
length, still holding the blossoms in her hand, and 
standing beside Sarah’s chair. 

She turned to leave. 

“ Good-bye,” she said. “ I hope you will be 
better soon.” 

But Sarah caught her dress. “ Oh, Dorothy, 
do not leave me,” she wailed. “ I am so miser¬ 
able, so unhappy! Throw the apple blossoms out 
of the window and come back to me. I need 
someone! Oh, I feel as if I shall die, all alone 
here!” 

Sobs choked her words, and she seemed strug¬ 
gling for breath. 


APPLE BLOSSOM MAGIC 83 

“Shall I call your mother?” Dorothy asked 
anxiously. 

“ No! no! ” cried the sick girl. “ I only want 
you. Dorothy Dale help me — you must help me 
or I shall die,” and again Sarah broke into hys¬ 
terical sobbing. 

“What is it, Sarah dear?” pleaded Dorothy. 
“ Tell me how I can help you,” and she bent 
down closer to the weeping girl. 

“ Oh, I do not know. I have — Oh, Dorothy 
have you ever tried to injure another? ” 

“ Why, no, dear, and I am sure you have not, 
either.” 

“ Oh, but I have indeed! I can not bear the 
pain any longer. I must tell someone — you. 
You will know how to help me.” 

A very sad face looked up into Dorothy’s. 
The brown eyes that had always been thought so 
proud and haughty were now “ begging ” for help, 
for pity, and for counsel. 

“ Tell me about it,” said Dorothy, taking a 
trembling white hand in her own, which was 
scarcely more steady. 

“ Did — they — arrest Tavia ? ” asked Sarah, 
the w 7 ords seeming to choke her in their utterance. 

“ Why, no. Of course they did not,” Dorothy 


84 


DOROTHY DALE 


replied. “ 1 just left Tavia a half hour ago, and 
she was as light hearted and happy as ever I have 
seen her. That little trouble at school did not 
last long.” 

“ Oh, I am so glad! ” exclaimed Sarah. “ The 
thought of it has just — haunted me! ” 

“About the accident?” asked Dorothy, trying 
to help Sarah unburden her mind. 

“ Yes. I really did not mean to do so wrong. 
But when I found you were all gone, and I tried 
to jump —” 

“ Yes, of course it was very wrong of Tavia to 
send you up so high just as the bell was going 
to ring,” and Dorothy pressed the other’s hand 
encouragingly. 

“ Then when I saw my white dress, all black 
from the ashes, I ran away! ” 

u Now do not excite yourself, dear,” cautioned 
Dorothy, for she saw how Sarah’s face had 
flushed, and did not like to hear her raise her 
voice so. 

“ No, it will not hurt me. The pain of it has 
been killing me ever since, but now it will go — 
with my confession! ” 

“Hush!” whispered Dorothy, “your mother 
is in the hall.” 

“Poor mother!” answered Sarah. “She has 


APPLE BLOSSOM MAGIC 85 

tried every way to help me, but I could not tell 
her. It seemed so terrible! ” 

u But how did you hurt your ankle?” asked 
Dorothy bluntly. 

“I fell out — of — the — tree! I did not 
mean to do it. I was up there hiding from those 
who passed in the lane, and all at once the awful 
thought came to me that I could slip and blame 
it on Tavia. But I did not mean to do it that 
way. Oh, Dorothy, how dreadfully I have been 
punished! ” and the sick girl fell to weeping again. 

“ Never mind dear. We all do wrong some¬ 
times —” 

“ No, Dorothy Dale, you never do. I have 
been jealous of your love for Tavia. I have loved 
you from the first moment I saw you — that day 
helping a poor drunken man to his feet. I said 
then I would make you love me, but see how I 
have failed. You will hate me now.” 

“ No, Sarah dear. You are better and nobler 
this minute than any other girl in Dalton, for no 
other likely, has had to make the heroic effort to 
do right that you have been obliged to go through 
with. You know the joy there is over one lost 
lamb when it is returned to the fold? ” 

Sarah leaned back, and looked up full into 
Dorothy’s face. 


86 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ I knew you would know just what to say to 
me,” she whispered. “ Dorothy Dale you are — 
an — angel,” and the big, brown eyes sent out such 
a look of love, admiration and, at last — happi¬ 
ness. 

“ It all seemed worse to you, thinking of it 
here, alone, with no one to say a word to you,” 
continued Dorothy, consolingly. “ And then of 
course, your father was angry. That only showed 
how fond he is of you.” 

“ Yes. It seems every thing helps one to do 
wrong. I really never accused Tavia of doing it, 
only that time when we came in, and then I was 
so sick and frightened, I had no idea, then, that 
father would take it all in earnest. But he rushed 
right off, and when I heard Squire Sanders had been 
at the school — oh, Dorothy how can I tell you how 
I felt!” 

u But it is all over now,” spoke Dorothy sooth¬ 
ingly, “ and I will take care that every girl in 
school knows the greatest part of the trouble came 
from a mistake.” 

“ But I can never go back to that school 
again —” 

“ Why, of course you can. I have to make an 
explanation myself when I go back. You know 
how hasty Alice is; well she got herself in trouble 


APPLE BLOSSOM MAGIC 


87 


on my account, and I feel I must say something 
about it. I was too sick then to know just what 
to say. So, now that Tavia is back, she will have 
to give an excuse. Then I can say how the whole 
trouble was more of a mistake, than anything else, 
and how we were all really somewhat to blame; 
perhaps one as much as another.” 


CHAPTER XI 


A soldier’s daughter 

The setting right of Sarah’s wrong — a task 
which Dorothy had so willingly volunteered to 
perform,— was by no means so simple a matter 
as she had attempted to make it. School girls are 
apt to be fond of excitement, and this bit of 
trouble brought with it so many interesting experi¬ 
ences — the visit of a real squire, the “ insurrec¬ 
tion ” of Alice; Dorothy falling ill in the cloak 
room, and that particularly novel occurrence: the 
disappearance of Tavia Travers. Surely all these 
features would seem to mark a red letter week 
on the calender of “ interesting events ” at Dalton 
School. But that was not to be the end of it. 

Dorothy intended to make such an explanation 
to the class, that the entire affair would be cleared 
up without too much blame resting on Sarah. 

A conference with Tavia, held directly after 
her pathetic interview with Sarah, resulted in the 
former declaring she would shoulder any blame 
that could be made to fit her. “ For a girl with 
88 


A SOLDIER’S DAUGHTER 


89 


a sprained ankle, and a bad case of delicate con¬ 
science, has troubles enough without inviting 
more,” Tavia told Dorothy. “ Besides,” she said 
further, “ it really was my fault, for I had de¬ 
termined to get even with her that day, and when 
I sent her upon the swing I really did not care 
whether she ‘busted’ through the clouds or not; 
I simply sent her flying. 

“ So, Doro,” she concluded “ you say whatever 
you please, and I will ‘ stand ’ for it. Only be 
sure not to let Miss Ellis know you are going to 
make a speech, for she has ‘ cut out ’ all speeches 
— except her own.” 

“ Tavia, Tavia 1 ” exclaimed Dorothy indig¬ 
nantly, “ where ever did you hear such common 
slang! ” 

“ I picked it up with the 4 goods ’ at Aunt 
Mary’s,” replied Tavia laughing, for she really 
only made use of the expressions to “ horrify ” 
Dorothy. “ Now,” she continued, “ be all ready 
for the picnic. We are only to have a half session, 
and then go to the Falls.” 

That evening, after tea, Dorothy found a much- 
longed-for chance to “ visit ” her father — talk 
with him in his own little study, upstairs and away 
from all disturbances. Since her indisposition the 
major had not bothered his daughter with any 


go 


DOROTHY DALE 


cares of the house or with the children, neither 
had he talked with her about the Burlock affair; 
but now, she had something to tell him — Tavia 
had heard of a woman living in Rochester, of that 
name—Burlock. What if it were the right 
party? The one so long sought for by Miles 
Burlock! And would the major let Dorothy go 
with Tavia to Rochester, and look for them — the 
poor mother and little Nellie! 

Dorothy found her father in his study waiting 
for her. How well he looked now, she thought, 
for the old hale and hearty look, that which so 
often characterizes the veteran soldier, had re¬ 
turned to his face, making it handsomer than ever 
because of a lighter shade having settled on his 
head — he was getting gray the daughter was 
quick to notice. 

“ You look better, Little Captain,” he said in 
greeting her. 

“ I was just thinking the same thing of you,” 
replied Dorothy, laughing. 

“ That was a case of great minds running in 
similar trenches,” said the father. 

“ Now, we are going to have a good, long chat,” 
began Dorothy, leaning against the arm of the 
major’s chair so that her head touched his shoulder. 
“ First, I want to tell you some news Tavia has 


A SOLDIER’S DAUGHTER 


9 i 


heard of a woman in Rochester named Burlock! ” 

“ Burlock! ” repeated the major, and he looked 
pained somehow; distressed at the mere mention 
of the name. 

“ I thought perhaps — it might be the party 
you — that is, the woman wanted in the Burlock 
matter,” faltered Dorothy. 

“ I am afraid, daughter,” said the major very 
solemnly, “ you have been bothering your young 
head about affairs much too grave for you to 
handle. I have always regretted sending you to 
the Bugle office that morning, so many complica¬ 
tions seemed to follow that experiment. Not but 
what you got out a splendid paper — better than 
this week’s issue for that matter,” the major hur¬ 
ried to say, for he noticed a look of disappoint¬ 
ment come over Dorothy’s face, “ but because I 
seemed to thrust you out into the world, unpro¬ 
tected, and even in danger.” 

Major Dale pressed his lips to his daughter’s 
brow. Indeed she had always been his little 
helper, his one dear, only daughter. Her willing¬ 
ness and ambition to help might have misled him, 
sometimes he might have forgotten she was only 
fourteen years old, but now, seated there beside 
him, fussing with his “ curls,” as she insisted his 
rather long locks were, she was little Doro again, 


92 


DOROTHY DALE 


the baby that had so often climbed on his knee, 
in that very room, begging for one more story 
when mother announced “ bed time.” 

The mother was gone now — and Dorothy was 
sitting there. 

“ Ah, well! ” sighed the major, trying to hide 
his thoughts, “ we must talk of something 
pleasant.” 

“ But the Burlock affair,” ventured Dorothy. 
“ I thought it would be splendid to think of finding 
them. I have not seen Mr. Burlock in some time. 
What do you suppose has become of him?” 

Major Dale took Dorothy’s hand into his own. 

“ Daughter,” he said, “ Miles Burlock has 
passed away.” 

“ Dead! ” gasped Dorothy. 

“ Yes, dead. But he was happy, glad to go, 
although he left his task unfinished — he had not 
found his wife and child.” 

“ What happened to him ? ” Dorothy asked, be¬ 
wildered at the suddenness of her father’s words. 

“ He died from exhaustion as much as from any 
thing else. That man Anderson had sent him 
word to go to Buffalo for ‘ news.’ Believing the 
message meant good news, that of locating the wife 
and child, Burlock went, but not before he had 
legally made me guardian of the lost daughter, 


A SOLDIER’S DAUGHTER 


93 


and put in my charge the estate that had lately 
come directly into his hands through the death of 
Mrs. Douglass. So the poor man managed to set¬ 
tle his affairs before he was called away. He came 
back to Dalton, sick and discouraged, and de¬ 
termined to put that man Andrew Anderson in jail. 
But — well it was not to be. Ralph was with him 
all day and all night* We did all we could to 
make it easier for him, and Dorothy dear, he closed 
his eyes — blessing you! ” 

Dorothy was crying. She tried hard to be 
brave, but somehow the tears would come — and 
she had to cry! 

“ There, there, daughter,” said the major con¬ 
solingly. “ I did not want to tell you just yet, but 
perhaps it is as well now as at any other time. I 
knew you would be grieved.” 

“Of course — I am sorry—” sighed Dorothy, 
“ but wasn’t it splendid that he had reformed! ” 

“Yes, and I must confess I was proud to hear 
a dying man bless your name. He declared that 
you, a mere child, had saved him from a death 
of shame. I never knew Dorothy, until Ralph 
told me there at his bedside, that you had worked 
so hard to help in the crusade work, even speaking 
to men like Burlock, when they might not have 
known how to answer you.” 


94 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ Oh indeed, father,” she hurried to say, “ I 
am sure Mr. Burlock was not intoxicated half 
the time others thought he was. He seemed so sad 
always and would sit on a bench, just thinking 
of his child perhaps, when people called him 
4 drunk ’! ” and the girl’s eyes flashed indignantly 
at the thought. 

“ Well, well, daughter; you were right in show¬ 
ing charity. Yes, charity is the love of God and 
our neighbor, and it was that love that led you 
to take the hand of that sick and discouraged man. 
Ralph told me how you brought him into the 
I Bugle office that afternoon, and how that was the 
beginning of a new life to Burlock for he never 
tasted strong drink after that day.” 

“ It was because I was like his own daughter 
or he thought I was, that he listened to me,” 
said Dorothy, not wanting to claim all the praise 
her father so prudently gave. 

“ At any rate you have the joy of knowing, 
daughter, that you helped a fellow creature find 
the right path. That joy will never leave 
you.” 

For a few moments the two sat there in silence. 
Dorothy had been favored with many opportuni¬ 
ties of “ distinguishing herself ” as Tavia would 
say, but this last — the real joy of helping a man 


A SOLDIER’S DAUGHTER 


95 


save himself — this as the major said, would never 
leave her. 

“And all this trouble about the Ford girl?” 
inquired the major presently, “ has that been 
settled?” 

“ Oh, yes, indeed it has,” answered Dorothy, 
scarcely knowing what explanation to make. 
“ Sarah is very hasty, and of course you know how 
Tavia loves to tease.” 

“ But it seems this was no nonsense. Mr. Ford 
declared he would make Mr. Travers pay the girl’s 
doctor bill.” 

“ Did he really? I had not heard that. But 
Tavia was not to blame. Sarah has admitted it 
was all a misunderstanding.” 

u Evidently she has not told her father that,” 
the major replied, “ for only this morning he as¬ 
sured me he would give the doctor’s bill into the 
hands of a collector.” 

“Oh, that would be too bad! Tavia’s folks 
are so poor. I must see Sarah.” 

“ Do you have to straighten that matter out 
also? Well, Little Captain, I am afraid you have 
a busy time of it. When one is willing to help 
others it is perfectly surprising how much they 
can find to do.” 

“ But you see, daddy, someone has to do it.” 


^6 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ Exactly. I have no objections to you mixing 
aip in school girl affairs; in fact I think that line 
of work quite as important as book learning. It 
is the best kind of education, for it fits one for 
their place in life: but I think, daughter, it might 
be best for you to give up helping in the crusade. 
I would rather not have you risk — perhaps in¬ 
sults in that work.” 

“ Of course, if you wish it father,” answered 
Dorothy in a disappointed tone, “ but if I could 
just help out in what Ralph had planned for the 
girls — a sort of auxiliary work — I would like 
it. The meetings would be held in the afternoon, 
and we would have little benefit affairs, to help de¬ 
fray the expenses of the League.” 

“ Oh, that sort of thing,” agreed the major, 
u that would be all right and strictly in a girl’s 
line. Everybody should show sympathy with the 
movement, for it means more to Dalton than we 
can estimate. Children, particularly, will be 
benefited, so that there can be no objection to them 
helping in their own way.” 

Dorothy felt greatly relieved now that her 
father had spoken on this subject, for she had 
feared he would ask her to give up, entirely, the 
temperance work she had become so interested in. 
The most prominent women in Dalton were identi- 


A SOLDIER’S DAUGHTER 


9 T 

fled with the movement, and with such leaders 
surely no girl need be afraid to follow. Besides, 
as Major Dale said, children would be those most 
benefited, therefore children should do what they 
could to help the work along. 

“ I am so glad you do not object to the Auxil¬ 
iary, father,” she said, as he arose to bid her 
good night. “ Of course I shall never meet an¬ 
other Miles Burlock, and therefore I shall not have 
to make a personal appeal to any one again,” and 
she looked sadly into her father’s face. “ Do you 
think we will ever find little Nellie?” 

“ Yes, daughter, I feel certain we will soon hear 
something of the heirs of Miles Burlock. But 
there now,” and he kissed her again, “ run along 
to bed. Your brothers are snoring by this time.” 

“ Good night, daddy dear,” she said, pressing 
his cheek lovingly to her own, “ I never forget \ 
that I am the daughter of a soldier, and that 
thought, more than anything else — earthly, takes 
care of me — guides me aright, and makes me 
proud of being Dorothy Dale! ” 


CHAPTER XII 


AN UNPROVOKED ATTACK 

The beautiful month of June was jotting down 
her days with sweetest floral mottoes — each in 
its turn paying tribute to the Queen of Months. 
Roses had come, daisies were weaving the fields 
into a cloth of white and gold, the side roads of 
Dalton were framed with clouds of snowy dog¬ 
wood, and that “ rarest of days ” the perfect day 
in June had come. And this was to be the picnic 
day for the girls of Dalton school. 

Tavia was over to Dorothy’s house very early. 
She wanted to borrow a lunch box, and, inciden- 
t; lly, to hear Dorothy’s opinion of the u glorious 
dress ” from Rochester. 

“ Isn’t it sweet? ” she began pirouetting on the 
board walk, at the side door of the Dale house, 
while waiting for Joe to find an empty cracker 
box for her lunch. 

“ It is pretty,” agreed Dorothy, examining the 
dress critically. “ Those pink ribbons are so be¬ 
coming to you.” 


98 


AN UNPROVOKED ATTACK 


99 


“ Cousin Nannie had it made for a party, so it 
ought to do for a picnic,” Tavia said. “ How 
do you feel to-day Doro? I have been thinking 
you look — sort of 4 peaked ’ as Aunt Libby 
would say. Have you been worrying about the 
explanation business? Because if you feel sensi¬ 
tive about it, just leave it to me. I am not the 
least bit bashful, you know.” 

44 1 feel well enough,” Dorothy assured her, 
44 and I haven’t been worrying — about that any 
way,” and Dorothy smiled to convince her friend 
that nothing serious was disturbing her peace of 
mind. 

44 Well, we assemble at nine you know; check 
our dinner pails. Thanks Joe, that will do nicely, 
and if I have any left I will leave it in the box 
when I return it. After a bluff at study, and 
an exchange of compliments, for my dress par¬ 
ticularly (no one else will have anything like this) 
we will expect to hear something from you, Doro. 
Really, this business of making speeches in school 
is quite an accomplishment. Had I known that 
Alice was going to 4 spout ’ the way she did that 
day I left for my vacation — ahem! you noticed 
Joe, how I said that? Well, I should have post¬ 
poned the trip had I any idea there would be such' 
stunts going on in lady-like society. But Doro, 


LOO 


DOROTHY DALE 


how is Sarah? Did you see her yesterday?” 

“ Yes, I saw her just for a moment,” and Dor¬ 
othy looked the other way to hide the serious 
thoughts that the meeting with Sarah recalled. 

“ And she has forgiven me for that push into 
the clouds? Now she is not so bad after all. I 
feel as if I should bring her some flowers or some¬ 
thing; as a peace offering, you know.” 

“ Well, I would not go over just to-day,” said 
Dorothy, “ for the doctor is to take the splints 
off her ankle —” 

“ Splints? Was it as bad as that? The poor 
girl, no wonder she — fibbed. I would too, if I 
had to stand for splints.” 

“ Why don’t you say 1 stand splints,’ and not 
use that horrid slang,” corrected Dorothy. 

“ But she didn’t stand them, she stood for them, 
with the other foot. You see, Doro, sometimes 
the much despised slang is — the real thing,” and 
with a tantalizing swish of her skirts, and a most 
frivolous toss of her head Tavia called “ Ta-ta! ” 
and dashed across the fields with the lunch box 
under her arm. 

“ She’s the kind of girl! ” commented Joe, who 
had been busy making a bow and arrow for Roger. 
“ If her brother Jack had a little of her spunk he 
would not be where he is.” 


AN UNPROVOKED ATTACK 


IOI 


“ Why ? ” asked Dorothy, “ doesn’t Johnnie get 
along well at school?” 

“At school?” echoed Joe, “he is never there 
to get along at all. I think it is clothes that 
keeps him home. I was going to ask Aunt Libby 
if any of mine might be spared —” 

“ Why, of course, you have some that are too 
small. I will see about them myself. It is too 
bad those children have no one to manage for 
them.” 

“What’s the matter with their mother?” 

“ I don’t know — that is — of course they have 
their mother, but she does not seem to know how 
to manage.” 

“ And we have you and you do seem to know,” 
responded the boy, trying the bow to make sure 
it would not shoot backwards. “ Well, sis, you’re 
a brick and Tavia, well, she is brick-dust, at any 
rate, but Jack — well he is Jack, and that is all 
there is to it. I’m going to ask father to let him 
carry Bugles next week. What little he could 
earn would do something for him.” 

“ Mr. Travers is such a nice man,” went 
on Dorothy, “ I think Tavia is exactly like 
him.” 

“ And Jack is like his mother. But we musn’t 
back-bite,” seeing the look of reproach on Dor- 


102 


DOROTHY DALE 


othy’s face. “ I hope you have a jolly good time 
at the picnic.” 

One hour later the girls of Dalton school were 
crowded around Dorothy, asking all kinds of well- 
meant questions concerning her health. Tavia, 
too, came in for her share of the queries, although 
hers did not relate to health, but to other in¬ 
teresting little confidences, least of which was, by 
no means, the new dress. 

But the fact that her own cousin Nannie gave 
it to her put Tavia at ease and questions that 
might otherwise seem impertinent were con¬ 
sidered compliments — showing what a “ stir ” 
the dress created. > 

Dorothy looked a trifle pale, and the light blue 
muslin gown she wore brought out a mere gleam 
of the pink flush that usually shown in her cheeks. 
Her blonde curls — the delight of all her friends, 
fell in a mass about her shoulders, so that even 
Tavia in the famous pink and white dress did not 
outdo Dorothy in pretty looks. 

Alice wore a buff linen that suited her “ golf 
style ” admirably. She had the air of the well- 
trained college girl, the result, perhaps, of annual 
trips to the seashore, where she was allowed to in¬ 
dulge in boating, swimming, and other “ manly 
sports ” as she termed the exercise. 


AN UNPROVOKED ATTACK 


103 


Belle Miller, otherwise known as “ Tinkle,” 
was as “ dear and dainty ” as ever, in a creamy 
white swiss, and May Egner wore lavender, al¬ 
though fully conscious of the disastrous effects 
of picnic sun on that perishable shade. It was a 
“ last year’s ” gown, so May decided she might 
better get a few more turns out of it and this, she 
thought, would be one of the rare occasions, when 
a lavender might be worn, “ with impunity.” 

All the girls wore appropriate costumes, and, 
when the classes assembled, the room presented a 
veritable holiday look. Study seemed the last 
thing to be thought of amid such gaiety. 

Even Miss Ellis wore a white collar and cuffs, 
a relief from her usual somber black, and as she 
touched the bell she smiled pleasantly to her pu¬ 
pils, plainly bidding them a happy holiday. 

“ Young ladies,” she began, “ we will take a 
brief review of last Friday’s work. It is so near 
closing time we must not waste an entire day.” 

Dorothy felt the time had arrived for her to 
speak. 

How she dreaded to mar that happy school hour 
with such unpleasant reminders of past troubles! 

But she had promised Sarah; moreover it was 
due the entire class that the occurrence should be 
disposed of honorably. 


104 


DOROTHY DALE 


Tavia was waiting anxiously. Alice also 
fidgeted at her books. Finally Dorothy raised her 
hand. The motion was not seen at once by Miss 
Ellis, but it is safe to say no other person in the 
room missed it. 

A stir of excitement caused the teacher to look 
up and she bowed to Dorothy. 

“ I am sorry, Miss Ellis,” began Dorothy with 
hesitation, “ to refer to anything unpleasant to¬ 
day, but I have promised Sarah Ford to make an 
explanation for her — she of course could not come 
herself.” 

“What is it Dorothy?” asked the teacher, al¬ 
though she no doubt guessed what the girl wished 
to say. 

“ I just want to state that Sarah did not intend 
to blame anyone for her accident — she had only 
cried that it was our fault when she was suffering 
so, and did not mean that those about her should 
have taken it up as they did. She wished me to 
apologize for her, and to say that the whole thing 
was an accident, the reports as well as the injury.” 

“ Thank you,” said Miss Ellis as Dorothy sat 
down. “ I am very glad indeed that the un¬ 
pleasant happening has been disposed of.” 

Alice was on her feet next. 

“ I also want to apologize, Miss Ellis,” she 


AN UNPROVOKED ATTACK 


105 


broke out in her “boyish tones,” adding: “I 
should not have spoken as I did, when you asked 
me to be silent. I was rude to do so.” 

“ A fault atoned for is a lesson learned,” com¬ 
mented the teacher, as Alice took her seat. 

It seemed to the girls the entire session would 
be given up to apologies and “ love feasts,” but 
when Tavia arose there was a decided murmur 
through the room. 

“Fluffy!” whispered the girl in the very last 
seat referring to Tavia’s fancy dress. 

“ Full bloom! ” said another, meaning that the 
pink and white dress put the “ Tiger Lily,” as they 
called Tavia, in full bloom. 

But these remarks had no effect on Tavia. 

“ I believe,” she began bravely, “ that I was the 
real cause of the trouble. I did swing Sarah too 
high, I was angry about Memorial Day, and 
blamed her for taking Dorothy’s place. I am 
very sorry.” 

At that moment a man appeared at the door. 
It was Squire Sanders! 

In he tramped, his cane beating a formidable 
march in advance of his steps, and his green-black 
hat kept on his head making a poor show of his 
manners in a girls’ schoolroom. 

“ I just come in to settle up that little matter 


io6 


DOROTHY DALE 


of the Ford girl,” he drawled. “ I see you’ve got 
that wild harum-scarum Travers’ girl back again.” 

“ The matter has been settled.” Miss Ellis in¬ 
terrupted. 

“ Has, eh? Well, I’ve not been notified to that 
effect and I continue my services until I am of¬ 
ficially notified to quit,” he announced, bringing his 
cane down in a “ full stop.” 

How odious his presence was in the room at 
that moment. Tavia’s face crimsoned when he 
referred to her as a “ harum-scarum ” and only 
a warning look from Dorothy kept her from re¬ 
plying to his insult. 

“ I think, Squire Sanders,” said Miss Ellis, 
“ that Mr. and Mrs. Ford are satisfied the affair 
was an accident. It was a misunderstanding — 
blaming the pupils.” 

“ Accident or no accident, that’s no account to 
me. I’m on this case, and I intend to see it 
through.” 

“Mean old thing!” said one girl, somewhat 
above a whisper, “ he just wants the fine. Let’s 
chase him! ” 

It was quite evident more than one girl felt like 
“ chasing ” the obnoxious squire, but he held his 
ground and continued to punctuate his impolite re¬ 
marks with that noisy cane. 


AN UNPROVOKED ATTACK 


107 


“ I want to see Octavia Travers at my office,” 
he announced, “ and I want her to come right 
along with me now! ” 

“ Squire Sanders! ” cried Miss Ellis, shocked 
and alarmed. “ I cannot and will not permit you 
to take a pupil from this room! ” 

“Oh, you won’t eh?” the squire looked more 
unpleasantly than ever. “ Well, I’d like to see 
you stop me! Perhaps you would like to give up 
your job here? There’s more after it, and some 
knows more about the ways of keeping wild girls 
down than Rachel Ellis does, too. I would ad¬ 
vise you not to interfere with an officer. Come 
along, Miss Travers.” 

“ She will not! ” called out Alice. “ My father 
is a town committeeman and I know something 
about the laws of Dalton. Show us your 
warrant! ” 

This was a surprise to Squire Sanders. He 
never expected his authority would be questioned 
— and by a mere schoolgirl. 

“Warrant, eh?” he sneered. “Maybe you 
would like to come along yourself, since you are 
so smart! ” 

A wild thought flashed through the mind of 
Alice. What if he should take both her and Tavia 
to his office! 


io8 


DOROTHY DALE 


It would be a case of false arrest, and cost the 
squire his place in Dalton! 

‘Get ready!” he called again to Tavia, who 
now seemed to regard the whole thing as a joke, 
and was smiling broadly. 

“ Don’t move a step! ” called Alice, while Miss 
Ellis looked on helplessly. 

“ Now, that settles it,” cried out the squire, red 
with anger. “ I’ll take you, too. Come right 
along here! ” 

Alice shot a meaning look at Miss Ellis and 
stepped out. 

“ Come, Tavia,” she said, “ the more the mer¬ 
rier. Girls we will be back in time for the picnic,” 
and, taking the “ cue ” from Alice, Tavia also 
stepped out, and with her, marched off behind the 
squire. 


CHAPTER XIII 


A QUEER PICNIC 

And that was to be picnic day ! 

A queer holiday, indeed, with two girls taken 
from the classroom — arrested! 

Yes, that was what it amounted to, in spite of 
the jolly way Tavia and Alice trooped off, making 
“ faces ” and doing fancy “ steps ” back of the 
squire. 

Miss Ellis sat at her desk dazed, and stunned. 
She could not realize it all — a squire coming into 
her room — threatening her with dismissal, and 
taking two girls off to the common police court for 
a “ hearing.” 

She was not a woman given to showing her 
feelings, but this seemed more than she could bear; 
tears came into her eyes, fell upon her books and 
then she bowed her head — she had to cry! 

Dorothy was at her side instantly. 

“ Dear Miss Ellis,” she murmured, “ don’t take 
it so seriously. It will be all right. I’m sure 
109 


no 


DOROTHY DALE 


those two girls are well able to take care of them¬ 
selves, and I suspect Alice went more for mischief 
than for anything. Perhaps I had better run 
down to father’s office, and tell him about it; he 
will know exactly what to do.” 

The girls all looked on with sad faces. They 
had never before seen Miss Ellis cry in school. 
But she raised her head now, and seemed better 
able to control her feelings. 

“ I think, Dorothy,” she said, “ it may be better 
to wait awhile. Something may happen to — 
save the girls from really going to his office. We 
will try to study, and perhaps we may have our 
picnic yet.” 

But it was a difficult matter to apply minds to 
books that morning; too much had happened to 
be turned readily aside for mere school work. 
Such whispering had never been permitted before, 
although the girls did try to be kind to Miss Ellis, 
she looked so sad and worried. 

Meanwhile the two girls, Tavia and Alice, had 
been having their own experiences. 

Upon reaching the street they stepped up along 
side the squire, so that persons in passing thought 
they were merely walking along to keep the aged 
man company. 

But Ralph Willoby was not so easily misled. 


A QUEER PICNIC 


in 


He was just leaving the Bugle office as they came 
along, and he instantly detected a “ story.” 

“ Come on,” said Alice, “ you can be our coun¬ 
sel. We are under arrest.” 

“ No need,” objected the squire, “ I am well 
able to attend to this case.” 

“ But your office is public,” answered Ralph,, 
“ and I guess I’ll go along and see what happens.” 

“ But I say I don’t want any interference,” and 
the squire raised his voice. “ You newspaper 
scamps always get things wrong anyway.” 

“ Probably because you do not give us a chance 
to get them right,” retorted Ralph. “ This time 
we will try to stick to facts.” 

“ Well, when I’m ready to give them out you 
can have them, but not before,” insisted the angry 
squire. 

“ But I’m going along, just the same,” declared 
Ralph, as Tavia stepped back to walk with him, 
so that the squire was obliged to go on with Alice, 
who really seemed to be enjoying the experience. 

The office of the justice of the peace was a 
dingy, dirty little place. It had served Dalton for 
the small needs of a public office for some years, 
Squire Sanders, of course, collecting a good income 
for its yearly rental. 

An old bench was stretched in front of the desk. 


112 


DOROTHY DALE 


The girls sank down on this, making queer 
u faces ” and comical gestures. 

“ My first offense! ” sighed Alice, with mock 
sadness. 

“ Same here! ” said Tavia in similar tone. 

“ Since you wish it,” said Ralph to Alice, “ I 
can act as counsel. You know I really am study¬ 
ing law, and there is nothing like taking cases for 
experience.” 

“ Now, no skylarking here,” called out the 
squire, “ I want to hear all about that case, let 
me see — the case of — I’ve got it somewhere,” 
and he turned the soiled pages of the “ records ” 
over rather roughly, considering they were sup¬ 
posed to belong to the town of Dalton. 

Tavia was biting her lips. She felt every mo¬ 
ment the laugh would get the better of her and 
get out on its own accord, but she tried bravely 
to suppress it. 

Ralph was whispering to Alice. Evidently he 
was pleased with the information she imparted, for 
he, too, smiled broadly as the squire called: 

“ Octavia Travers, step up to the bar! ” 

“ What for? ” asked Tavia saucily. 

“ To swear — take your oath — make your af¬ 
fidavit,” called the squire sharply. 

“What’s the charge?” interrupted Ralph. 


A QUEER PICNIC 


US 

“ ’Sault an’ batt’ry,” snapped the squire. 

“ Who signed the warrant? ” questioned Ralph 
further. 

“ See here young feller! ” and the squire rapped 
his cane vigorously upon the desk, “ if you don’t 
let me go on with this case I’ll kick you out.” 

“ Oh, no, you won’t. I have as much right 
here as you have, and I intend to see that you 
do not, in any way, insult the young ladies I ” 

“ You young scamp! ” yelled the squire, making 
a dash for Ralph and bringing his cane down 
squarely on the young man’s head, at which Alice 
and Tavia screamed. 

A moment later the men were scuffling on the 
floor. 

“ I’ll teach you! ” the squire kept yelling. 

“ Let me go! ” shouted Ralph. 

“ Oh, we must get help! ” screamed Alice. 
“ Tavia, run quick, to the office next door. That 
man is cra/zy. He will kill Ralph,” and, while 
Tavia ran to one side of the place, Alice hurried 
to the other, so that all possible help would be 
called at once. 

In- a short time the little place was crowded. 
Some came to aid, and others came to see what 
was wrong. Alice and Tavia stood by with very 
vdiite faces. Alice had pulled the squire away 


DOROTHY DALE 


114 

from Ralph and the aged man finally had been 
subdued, that is two men had succeeded in keep¬ 
ing him away from Ralph, but not until the young 
man had been considerably injured. The squire 
was still sputtering and those who tried to quiet 
him had a hard task of it. Every time they 
would let go his arms he would throw them up 
with new energy, trying to get at Ralph again, 
until at last it was found necessary to go to the 
constables’ desk; get out the only pair of hand¬ 
cuffs in Dalton, and put them on the wrists of the 
obstreperous official. 

This, of course, was great fun for the boys who 
had gathered about, and who had more than one 
grudge against Squire Sanders. Many a time he 
had chased them off the coasting hill, he had often 
spoiled a good day’s swimming, and as for apples 
— a boy never knew when he was safe to “ bor¬ 
row ” one from any orchard in Dalton. 

But the tables were turned now — and the boys 
were glad of it. A taste of his own medicine 
would do the aged man good, they declared. 

Not being able to do more than shout ar;d kick, 
Squire Sanders soon “ gave out ” and fell' back 
sullenly in a chair near a window. Ralph’s head 
was bleeding. 


A QUEER PICNIC 


ii 5 

“ Oh, we must get Ralph to the drug store,” 
insisted Alice. “ Perhaps Dr. Gray will be there. 
He is hurt, I am sure,” and she was almost in 
tears, for indeed Ralph looked very much injured 
— his lip was cut, and girls cannot well stand the 
sight of blood. 

Ralph felt quite well able to walk, he declared, 
and assured the girls, laughingly, that their case 
and his would now likely “ come up ” together in 
the next term of court. 

But just as Alice, Tavia, Ralph, and a few 
sympathizing friends were ready to leave the 
office Franklin MacAllister, president of the Se¬ 
lectmen of Dalton, and father of Alice, stepped 
into the place. He had heard of the disturbance, 
and having power to act in any such emergency, 
he hurried to the scene. 

“ Well,” he exclaimed, seeing his daughter 
there, “ what in the world are you doing here?” 

“ Oh, I made all the trouble,” replied Alice, 
“ that is, Tavia and I made it. We were ar¬ 
rested —” 

“ Arrested! ” repeated the father, incredulously. 

“ Yes, indeed we were. And Mr. Willoby only 
stepped in to help us when he got in trouble.” 

Mr. MacAllister talked earnestly to Ralph. 


116 


DOROTHY DALE 


Plainly both men were of the same opinion — 
either Squire Sanders was crazy or he was too old 
and incompetent to hold office. 

“ What are we going to do with him, Mr. Presi¬ 
dent?” asked one of the men who had the un¬ 
pleasant duty of standing by and keeping guard 
over the squire. 

“ Bind him over to keep the peace,” replied the 
president. “ Squire Sanders,” he called, and 
thereat every one held his or her breath, “ this is 
a sad predicament to find an officer in. In fact 
the occurrence is a disgrace to the town of Dalton.” 

The squire shifted uneasily in the chair. He 
had not spoken coherently since the struggle with 
Ralph, and was still in an ugly mood. At the 
same time he understood who now addressed him; 
the president of the board; the man who had 
authority to bring matters about so as to deprive 
him of the office he had held for years. 

“Stand up!” called the president, and the 
squire shuffled awkwardly to his feet. 

“ What have you to say in this matter? We 
have a quorum of the board here present and we 
may as well dispose of this case. There is also 
another count pending against you. How did you 
come to let that man Anderson slip out of Dalton 
so easily — help him out in fact? Was his money 


A QUEER PICNIC 


117 

better than that of the people of this town, who 
for years have been paying you for duties that 
you have never honestly performed? ” 

At the mention of Anderson, Squire Sanders’ 
face turned from red to a deadly ashen. 

“ Look out,” cautioned Ralph aside to the presi¬ 
dent, “ he is old you know, and might drop at any 
moment.” 

“ Not a bit of it,” went on Mr. MacAllister. 
“ He is too tough for that. Speak up, Sanders. 
This is your last chance.” 

But the man never moved his lips. Sullen and 
beaten he sat there while Mr. MacAllister, re¬ 
counted some of his misdeeds. 

“ You have disgraced your office,” he declared, 
“ but the most outrageous of your offenses was 
that of bringing into this office two innocent school¬ 
girls — doctoring up a charge against them, try¬ 
ing to force them to acknowledge they had taken 
part in an affair that they had absolutely nothing 
to do with — and all this you did for the paltry 
fee that goes with each case on your books. Now, 
Sanders, I have spoken to the members of the 
board here present and the verdict in your case is 
— that you leave Dalton inside of ten days. The 
penalty for contempt in the matter will be a public 
trial, and, no doubt, imprisonment.” 


n8 


DOROTHY DALE 


It was a difficult matter to restrain the boys 
present. They wanted to cheer — to shout, but 
were not allowed to do so. Ralph had quite re¬ 
covered himself now, and so insisted on going 
alone to the drugstore to have his slight wounds 
dressed if necessary. Two of the selectmen 
looked after Sanders, releasing him of the hand¬ 
cuffs, and advising him “ to make himself scarce ” 
around Dalton, until the feeling against him had 
quieted down some. All the defiance had left 
him now; he scarcely raised his head as he crept 
out the back way to his rooms next door. 

Upon hearing the school story in full Mr. 
MacAllister decided to take his daughter and 
Tavia back to the school room himself, and 
set every thing right with Miss Ellis and her 
pupils. 

“ You have had a rough time of it lately,” he 
commented as he and the two girls made their way 
to the school. 

“ But Alice is a — a brick!” declared Tavia, 
in appreciation of her friend’s assistance. u She 
helped us splendidly.” 

“ Glad to hear it,” answered the father, “ Alice 
is our tom-boy, but she is true-blue, eh, Bob? ” he 
said patting his daughter affectionately. “ You 
knew what I meant about the man Anderson, did 


A QUEER PICNIC 


119 

you not, Tavia?” he went on. “That was your 
‘ special friend ’ I believe.” 

“ Oh, I have met him,” replied Tavia laughing, 
“ but I think now the reason the old squire wanted 
to get me into this trouble was because he thought 
it might affect Dorothy Dale, as she is my special 
friend. Somehow the Burlock-Anderson affair 
seemed to be aimed at the Dales.” 

“ Oh, yes, no doubt of it,” answered Mr. Mac- 
Allister, “ but we think we are on the track of set¬ 
tling the matter now.” 

Tavia felt she could scarcely wait to tell all 
this to Dorothy, for she had been wondering what 
had become of the Anderson affair. Alice looked 
proudly up at her father as they neared the school. 

“ They may think you have come to take some¬ 
one else away,” she said laughing. “ This has 
been a queer picnic day.” 

“ Don’t worry about that,” he answered. 
“ You must have an extra good time to make up 
for your troubles and disappointment, I will see 
what I can do for you.” 

Alice cast a meaning glance at Tavia. If her 
father undertook to give Dalton school a treat it 
would surely be something worth while, Alice was 
sure, and so, with that bright prospect uppermost 
in her mind, she led her father into the school 


room. 


CHAPTER XIV 


THE SECRET 

It took but a short time for Mr. MacAllister 
to explain everything satisfactorily to Miss Ellis 
and her pupils. He was a gentleman any 
daughter might well be proud of, and, indeed, 
Alice showed a pardonable pride as he stood there 
smiling and assuring the teacher that, as president 
of the Selectmen of Dalton, he would promise a 
holiday to the class that would make up in every 
way for the disappointment of the morning. 

When the visitor had departed, Miss Ellis an¬ 
nounced she would carry out the intended pro¬ 
gram as far as a half session was concerned, 
but, as it was too late to go on the picnic then the 
pupils might go home and enjoy themselves as 
they wished. 

Tavia and Alice were now regarded as hero¬ 
ines. To think they had really been in the court, 
and that they had been witnesses to — “a fight,” 
as Tavia declared Squire Sanders’ attack on Ralph 


120 


THE SECRET 


121 


was “ nothing more nor less than a common roll 
around fight.” 

Finally the picnic lunches were disposed of, 
and Tavia took Dorothy’s arm as they walked 
homeward — she had much to tell Dorothy and 
knew that no girl would interrupt such apparent 
confidence as “ arm in arm ” indicated. 

“ And what do you think Mr. MacAJlister 
said? ” began Tavia. “ That old Squire Sanders 
let that horrible man get out of Dalton — the man 
who frightened us so! ” 

“ Did he ? ” replied Dorothy, absently. 

“ And you knew, of course, about poor Miles 
Burlock — he died when you were sick, so I did 
not tell you anything about it.” 

“ Yes, father told me.” 

“What are you thinking of, Doro? You are 
not listening to me at all.” 

“ I have so much to think of,” answered’ 
Dorothy, smiling. “ I can hardly keep my 
thoughts in line.” 

“But you should have seen Alice — Oh, she 
just pulled the old squire by the collar. She 
didn’t wait for a man to come. And look at my 
dress! Isn’t it a sight? I might have known 
there would be an earthquake or a fight when I 
attempted to wear anything like this.” 


122 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ It is too bad, but that is a straight tear. You 
can easily mend it.” 

“ But Ralph’s eye; that will not darn so neatly. 
I hope that hateful old squire never shows his ugly 
‘ phiz-mahogony ’ in Dalton again.” 

“ Do you think Ralph is much hurt? ” Dorothy 
inquired anxiously. “ Wasn’t it disgraceful?” 

“Perfectly rambunctious!” declared Tavia, 
“ although it might have been jolly good fun if 
Ralph had another fellow in his place — one not 
quite so careful of the squire’s feelings and features. 
But you should have seen the squire with the 
handcuffs on! Oh! it was better than the play I 
saw in Rochester,” and Tavia relieved her pent- 
up jollity by tossing into the air the borrowed 
lunch box and making “ passes ” at it, with queer 
pranks in imitation of the jugglers she had seen at 
Rochester. 

“ Tavia,” asked Dorothy, very seriously, “ do 
you think you could keep a secret ? ” 

“ Keep a secret? Dorothy darling, Dare-me! ” 
“Now, no joking, Tavia,” insisted Dorothy, 
“ this is a matter of importance.” 

“ Oh, I just love importance. That was what 
mostly happened to me and Alice to-day in the 
squire’s office — importance! ” 

“ Well, if you really can’t be serious —■ 


THE SECRET 


123 


“ Oh, but, Doro dear, just try me. I shall 
weep if you say so, only — pardon, mamselle, but 
do not, if you please, make that weep too long, a 
few sniffs only, for I have not with me in this 
fleshling costume ze ’kerchief,” and she made a 
most ridiculous little French “ squat,” further 
evidence of the Rochester play. 

“ ^ am afraid Tavia, that trip to your Aunt 
Mary’s has affected your head; they say nothing 
can dc so more effectively than certain kinds of 
plays.” 

“ Weil, the one I saw was the certain kind. 
Why, last night mother nearly had nervous pros¬ 
tration because I was practicing up in my room. 
I was trying to do a fall — and I did it all right.”’ 

“ How foolish you are, Tavia,” said Dorothy 
slightly frowning, “ I would not think of such 
nonsense if I were you.” 

“ Yes, it was awfully foolish, for it knocked the 
ceiling down in the kitchen, just dusting Johnnie’s 
pompadour. The escape, however, made mother 
happy, so that the ceiling did not count.” 

Dorothy “ gave in.” She had to laugh and 
did laugh so heartily she was obliged to sit down 
on the grass to enjoy the ‘‘ tragedy ” as Tavia de¬ 
scribed the stage fall and the “ ceiling drop.” 

“But the secret?” demanded Tavia, making 


124 


DOROTHY DALE 


sure her skirt would not be stained, before g 
her place on the grass beside Dorothy. 

“ Yes, I do want to tell you,” an :d 
Dorothy, “ Now listen. You know Squi ri¬ 
ders was particularly anxious that you shouJ nd 
all the blame for Sarah’s accident.” 

“ Particularly anxious? He was dear on 
it. Polite language doesn’t lit the case.’ 

“ Tavia, you really are too slangy. 1 y be 
all right just for fun, in talking to girls. some 
day you will be sorry. It will become ibit.” 

“ Like Jake Schmid taking the pled I saw 
him yesterday very close to — a salo 

“Poor Jake!” said Dorothy w sigh. 

“ But he does seem to try —” 

“To take the pledge? Indeed he does and I 
admire his perseverance. That’s just the way I 
try to avoid slang.” 

“ I am afraid, Tavia, we will not accomplish 
much in the way of confidences, if you persist in 
being — ridiculous,” and Dorothy made as if to 
continue on her way home. 

“ Sit right down there, Dorothy Dale,” in¬ 
sisted Tavia, pulling her friend’s skirt, and bring¬ 
ing Dorothy down beside her rather suddenly. “ I 
will have to play the villain and demand that 
‘secret ’ ! ” 


THE SECRET 


125 


‘‘Well, it is simply this: I think I see the 
motive Squire Sanders had in trying to disgrace 
you.” 

“ Let me see it quick I ” snapped Tavia. 

“ Didn’t your father run against him last year 
for the office of Town Squire? ” 

“ Certainly,” said Tavia, briefly. 

“ And the only reason he did not get the office 
was because the squire was so old the men thought 
it best not to disturb him just then.” 

“ Right, again,” answered Tavia. 

“ Election time is now almost here. Your 
father would be up for the office again. Don’t 
you see by bringing trouble to you and your folks 
your father would become unpopular?” 

“ And get left!” 

“Yes; be defeated.” 

“But he will not!” and Tavia’s brown eyes 
danced significantly. “ The squire is down and 
out. And worse yet he has to run for his money. 
Now my own dear dad will have a chance. Oh, 
Doro, I love politics better than eating. I hope 
some day soon, while Tavia Travers is still in 
circulation, the women will vote in Dalton same 
as they do in Rochester — they don’t just exactly 
vote in Rochester, but a lot of them talk about it.” 

“ Now you must not mention my suspicions,” 


126 


DOROTHY DALE 


cautioned Dorothy, “ for I must speak to father 
first. It does not seem fair that the Fords should 
be blamed for making statements about you that, 
perhaps, the squire put into their heads.” 

“ Dorothy Dale, you would make a first class 
lawyer, and when you want a job at it I will en¬ 
gage you to defend my case. But I do not see 
how I am to keep all that momsey. It would be 
so good to have father back at a desk again. 
They say he really was a first class justice out in 
Millville. And he just hates his work now — so 
little wages; mom cannot seem to make them go 
around — me and Johnnie; Johnnie mostly gets 
the knot at the end.” 

“ It certainly would be splendid to have him get 
the position. And I am sure father will do all 
he can for him; but I would not mention it to your 
mother, just yet.” 

“ All right Doro, I have given you my promise, 
but you have made me so happy!” and Tavia 
hugged Dorothy so enthusiastically that the latter 
was obliged to beg off. 

“ And I tell you what,” went on Tavia, “ when 
Pop gets Squire Sander’s place I — this — me — 
you know ” and she made another wonderful, 
sweeping all-around bow, “ I will be ‘ city clerk.’ 


THE SECRET 


127 


I will keep the books and Dorothy Hill-and-Dale, 
if ever your name gets on the books it shall be 
promptly eliminated, elucidated, expurgated — 
there now! Don’t you think I should be in the 
grad, class? I was looking up words with 4 ate ’ 
in — my favorite pastime,— and I came across 
that bunch.” 

“ I do really think, Tavia, that you would do 
better at school if you only tried. We cannot 
always have studies that we are especially inter¬ 
ested in. It is like the scales in piano practice, 
they give us the mechanical work for pretty dances 
and other brilliant pieces.” 

“ Well, we have no piano, so I do not have to 
worry about that. I suppose you will play at the 
closing exercises?” 

“ Miss Ellis has asked me to. But Tavia, we 
really must be going. I have promised to go 
over to Sarah’s this afternoon.” 

“May I go with you? I just would like to 
feel that we had talked it all off, you know. I do 
not want to think Sarah has any hard feelings.” 

“ Certainly; come, I am sure Sarah will be glad 
to see you, and her mother is very pleasant. Be 
careful not to tell too much about to-day’s affairs. 
It might worry Sarah.” 


128 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ If I forget myself you just squint, and Til 
be as mum as a mummy.” 

So Dorothy and Tavia started off homeward, 
arm in arm. 


DOROTHY IN POLITICS 


131 

it seemed to him more repugnant. First, that he 
should have blamed Tavia without investigating 
the matter himself; next that he should have al¬ 
lowed a man like Squire Sanders to “ humbug ” 
him. 

“ Well,” said the major, “ we now have it in 
our power to put the right man in the office of 
Justice of the Peace. You know John Travers 
was up for it last year.” 

“ I do, but — he is not of our party.” 

“ Yet you admit he is the right man? ” 

“ I know of no one better fitted for the office.” 

“ Then make it the man this time, and leave the 
party aside. Franklin MacAllister was in this 
afternoon. He says the appointment must be 
made at once, but that your faction in the council 
will oppose Travers. Your vote can decide the 
matter.” 

Mr. Ford was silent for a moment. Men think 
it almost a sacred obligation to “ stick to their 
party,” especially when that party puts the mem¬ 
ber in office with the understanding that their 
interests shall be looked after. 

“ It may cost me my place on the board —” said 
Mr. Ford thoughtfully, “ but that will not affect 
my family, or my pocket-book —” 

“ Still you have been a good member,” inter- 


132 


DOROTHY DALE 


rupted the major, “ and we cannot afford to lose 
you, either.” 

“ But you said Mac. stated my vote would carry 
it one way or other? ” 

“ Yes, he has canvassed it.” 

“Then Travers shall be the man!” and Mr. 
Ford brought one hand down on the other in a 
most determined, and defiant manner. 

“ Strange,” said Major Dale, “ but the chil¬ 
dren have settled this for us. My little girl 
Dorothy had the whole thing planned out, and 
talked me over to her way. She is very fond of 
the Travers girl, you know.” 

The office door opened and Mr. MacAllistcr 
entered. 

“ Hullo! ” he said cheerily. “ Been lobbying, 
Major? ” 

“ Seems so.” 

“ Well, Travers has my vote,” Mr. Ford hur¬ 
ried to say. 

“ What, going back on your party? ” said Mr. 
MacAllister, laughing. 

“ Either that or go back on my own daughter,” 
commented Mr. Ford. “ It seems this is the girls’ 
election.” 

The major could hardly disguise his pride — 
Dorothy had certainly “ been busy ” lately, and 


DOROTHY IN POLITICS 


133 


every undertaking of hers had met with success. 
A girl, after all, may be something more than a 
pretty doll, he thought. But the whole thing is 
to get them to exert their influence in the right 
direction. See how Dorothy had helped in the 
liquor crusade. And without “ soiling her finger 
tips,” thought the major, proudly. 

And while this caucus was being held in the 
major’s office, Dorothy was conducting another 
sort of meeting at the Ford home. 

Tavia and Sarah had “ made up ” most affec¬ 
tionately. Sickness, sometimes is a powerful 
teacher, and afforded, in Sarah’s case, time to 
think reasonably which was plainly what she 
needed. 

“ I always thought the girls disliked me,” she 
told Tavia, “that, of course, made me dislike 
most of them. But I did love Dorothy,” she 
hastened to declare, “ and I was jealous of her 
love for you.” 

“ I don’t blame you a bit,” answered Tavia, in 
her direct way. “ If she should turn ’round and 
fall in love with you — why then no telling what 
might happen.” 

Sarah was now able to walk around with the 
aid of a cane, and this afternoon she sat out on 
the porch entertaining her friends. 


134 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ I do hope,” said Dorothy, “ that you will be 
able to go on the picnic with us, Sarah. Perhaps 
that, too, will be all the better for being post¬ 
poned.” 

“ Only my lunch,” sighed Tavia, melodra¬ 
matically. “ I shall never be able to put up an¬ 
other such! ” and she smacked her lips in remem¬ 
brance of the good things the borrowed lunch 
box had contained. 

“ Perhaps, then, I will be able to invite you to 
take some of mine,” said Sarah politely. 
“ Mother just loves to do up dainty lunches.” 

“ Accepted with pleasure,” replied Tavia, imi¬ 
tating society manners. “ Make it enough for 
yourself, plenty for me, and a little to spare. 
Then we will be sure to come out all right.” 

Mrs. Ford came out to ask the visitors to re¬ 
main to tea, but they politely declined. She was 
especially kind in talking to Tavia, and invited 
her to come again with Dorothy. 

“ They say,” remarked Dorothy to Tavia, a9 
the girls hurried along the lane, “ ‘ that love scarce 
is love that does not know the sweetness of for¬ 
giving,’ and it does seem that way, don’t you 
think so? ” 

“ Oh, that was what ailed us all, was it? Not 
our fault at all, but the fault of some old mil- 


DOROTHY IN POLITICS 


137 


ing politics were still in the major’s office, and 
when told of the girl’s fright they promptly start¬ 
ed out for the lane picking up more help at every 
turn. 

“We will get him if we have to burn down the 
woods,” declared the major, deeply incensed at his 
daughter’s peril. 

“ And not a gun in the crowd,” remarked Mr. 
MacAllister. “ This is where we need our con¬ 
stable.” 

They had reached the lane now, and it was quite 
dark. Numbers of men, who had been taking a 
quiet evening smoke at their own doors joined in 
the “ rounding up ” as Mr. Ford called it. 

“ No Squire Sanders to help him out this time,” 
some one remarked. 

Then the men scattered — completely surround¬ 
ing the place where the tramp had been last seen. 

“ The only way he could get away from us 
would be in a balloon,” said Mr. MacAllister. 

“ Or an airship,” spoke up someone else. 

With heavy clubs and every available weapon 
to beat down the brush they started out through 
the lane on the man hunt. 

Surely twenty good men should be able to find 
the one “ tramp ” now. 

But would they? 


CHAPTER XVI 


THE GIRLS HAVE IT 

It was an entirely new experience for Dalton 
men — searching for a miscreant that spring 
evening in the lane. But evening wore into night¬ 
fall and no trace of the “ tramp ” had been dis¬ 
covered. 

From either end of the lane the pen came to¬ 
gether at last, and admitted they had been again 
outwitted by the “ slick rascal.” 

Mr. MacAllister, in dismissing the party, urged 
them to be at the town meeting that night to vote 
for a constable, and never had the need of such an 
official been so plainly demonstrated. 

“ We must go about to-night,” he said, “ and 
notify business persons to be on the lookout for 
a fellow of this description. Of course, if we had 
a regular constable we might save ourselves that 
trouble.” 

To the old politicians of Dalton, those who al¬ 
ways voted promptly, but put off paying taxes until 
138 


THE GIRLS HAVE IT 


139 


the very last notice had been served upon them, the 
appointment of John Travers to succeed Squire 
Sanders, came as a surprise. Poor men are not 
always popular, and the other candidate, Baldwin 
Blake, was the sort of fellow it was pleasant to 
meet — around election times. But John Travers 
got the office without a dissenting vote in the coun¬ 
cil— a matter quite as surprising to Mr. Travers 
as to any man present. Mr. MacAllister whis¬ 
pered aside to Major Dale, when the result of the 
ballot was made known: 

“ Travers does not know what a strong pull our 
young politicians have. This is the girls’ cam¬ 
paign.” 

But when a few hours later, the new squire told 
his own girl of the good fortune, Tavia declared 
Dorothy had managed it all. 

It was a fact, however regrettable, that Mrs. 
Travers was not at home to hear the good news. 
She had gone to see a sick friend that afternoon, 
and had sent word later that she would remain 
away all night. 

But Mrs. Travers was probably not as blamable 
in her home-making delinquencies as it might ap¬ 
pear. She simply did not know how to make a 
home. She belonged to that unfortunately large 
class of women, who have received a so-called 


140 


DOROTHY DALE 


u education ” from books, but who have never been 
trained in either discipline or character, which 
might give the forbearance necessary in meeting 
the actual trials of life, or in the management of 
the great American dollar, which might make up, 
in a measure, for lack of discipline, when that dol¬ 
lar, like the proverbial charity, must cover a mul¬ 
titude of wants. Mrs. Travers had attended a 
school where embroidery was the chief number in 
the curriculum, and mathematics (after decimal 
fractions) made elective. Hence it was that the 
burden of responsibility came so early to Tavia, 
who was scarcely better able to undertake it than 
the mother. 

The unfortunate result of this total lack of man¬ 
agement might have discouraged a man less op¬ 
timistic than John Travers, but he always “ made 
allowances,” just as he did to-night when the in¬ 
different wife was not there to share in the family’s 
happy hour. 

“ Maybe I can help you with the books,” sug¬ 
gested Tavia, when the possible details of the new 
position were being discussed. 

“ Oh, I will have plenty of time to attend to 
them, daughter,” her father replied. “ The books 
I want you to attend to are those at school — I 


THE GIRLS HAVE IT 


141 


want you to make up for lost time. Dalton peo¬ 
ple will expect more from us now that they are 
giving us a chance.” 

“ Dorothy says I do better than I imagine,” re¬ 
plied Tavia. “ I did not expect to pass — I had 
been home so much — but if only I could get a 
4 conditional,’ and leave when Dorothy does! ” 

Ambition had come to Tavia — at last. 

Her father wished her to get through school, 
and she determined, if such a thing was possible 
she would do it. 

“ I could study very hard,” she told herself, 
when thinking the matter over very seriously, that 
night, in her own little cheerless room. “ Dor¬ 
othy has all her work done, and I am sure she will 
help me.” 

And what a surprise it would be to every one 
if she really did get “ conditioned ” in the studies 
she failed in, and should actually graduate in the 
general work. 

What a wonderful thing it was to have some¬ 
thing definite to work for! Dorothy and Alice 
had always felt that way, but until to-night Tavia 
had never known the real joy of doing good work, 
with the actual reward in sight. Home life had 
been dreary indeed, school had been little better, 


142 


DOROTHY DALE 


the only bright spot in the misplaced life had been 
put in by Dorothy Dale. And what a power for 
good had been the quiet, unobtrusive influence! 

“ I owe every single thing to Dorothy,” Tavia 
declared to her own heart that eventful night, 
“ and I hope some day I will be able to show her 
I am not ungrateful.” 


CHAPTER XVII 
a girl’s weapon 

Tavia’s plans took shape next morning — there 
was nothing visionary about them. She did sur¬ 
prise her father with a neat breakfast table, and 
Johnnie surprised himself with a clean linen suit. 

“ Nothing succeeds like success,” said the father, 
pleased and happy that, at last something had 
“ happened ” to brighten the make-shift home. 

“ And when mother comes,” Tavia announced, 
“ she will find that I have discovered how to keep 
house, for I have already provided for dinner. 
Now Johnnie, be careful that you do me credit — 
go right straight to school when it’s time, and 
don’t, as you value your place in — in — my heart, 
miss a single lesson! ” 

“ Good! ” said the father, actually taking a tiny 
rosebud from the clean milk bottle, in the center 
of the table, and putting it in his buttonhole. 

“ Would it be silly for a boy to wear a flower? ” 
faltered Johnnie, “ Joe Dale often does.” 

“ Indeed every boy in school will know to-day 
143 


144 


DOROTHY DALE 


that pop is the t head constable ’ so why shouldn’t 
you decorate ? ” and the sister put in the fresh linen 
waist a bud that exactly matched the one chosen 
by the squire. 

Mr. Travers recalled that this was the first morn¬ 
ing he could remember when his two children sat 
at table with him. They were always busy or 
sleeping — any place but where they should be at 
breakfast time. 

“ Now, I must see Dorothy before school,” said 
Tavia, leaving the table. “ Johnnie, just eat all 
your toast while I clear up. Then you can bring 
in fresh water, and some wood to have ready for 
noon, in case mother should not get home in time 
to do everything.” 

Mr. Travers was also in a hurry to get down to 
the Green, he had made an appointment to talk 
with Major Dale and he did not delay after break¬ 
fast. A new world had been discovered by him 
— the land of prosperity; ambition for his chil¬ 
dren, and perhaps even contentment for the in¬ 
competent little woman who had suffered too, and 
who now might find a way and heart to do what 
seemed not worth while before. 

But Dorothy had “ anticipated ” Tavia’s visit 
and was at the door before the latter had entirely 
cleared away the table. 


A GIRL’S WEAPON 


145 


“ Why! ” exclaimed Dorothy, when her eyes 
rested on the flowers, “ you are celebrating! ” 

“ Good reason why! ” responded Tavia proudly, 
“ my dad’s a squire! ” 

“ I am so glad,” murmured Dorothy, giving 
Tavia a kiss. “ Now you will be somebody, won’t 
you?” 

“I am already — somebody else. You won’t 
know me; better ask for an introduction,” and she 
walked haughtily to the sink with the last of the 
dishes. 

“ Delighted, I’m sure! ” simpered Dorothy, 
imitating the society voice. 

“ Pray be seated,” went on the new Tavia, “ I’ll 
be disengaged directly.” 

Tavia’s happiness was so entirely self-evident 
there was no need for her to make formal expres¬ 
sion of it to Dorothy, yet, as she had promised 
herself to be “ just like other girls ” Tavia felt 
the obligation to say something polite. 

“ I know, Dorothy,” she began, “ we owe every¬ 
thing to you. But it has really made a new world 
for us, and now, you will see how we appreciate it. 
I am going to get through school, if I can, and 
perhaps, when we get better off, I may go on with 
you at school and grow up — like you.” 

“ Tavia dear,” said Dorothy earnestly, “ I am 


146 


DOROTHY DALE 


sure you will always be my friend, whether you 
have a fancy education or not. We have learned 
more than can be taught from books — we have 
learned to help each other, and to understand each 
other.” 

“ Yes, I cannot imagine anything ever coming 
into our lives that would keep us apart — even dis¬ 
tance does not separate minds and hearts.” 

Tavia had finished her work now, and surprised 
Dorothy by neatly washing out the dish towels. 

Dorothy was ready to go now for it was getting 
close to the hour for school. 

“ I must tell you something in confidence,” said 
she, “ father thinks he has a clew to the little 
Burlock girl’s whereabouts.” 

“ Yes, and I thought the same thing when what 
do you suppose? — Aunt Mary writes me that the 
woman — Mrs. Burlock — is dead 1 ” 

“ Dead! ” exclaimed Dorothy. 

“ Yes, and the society cannot now find her girl 
— she did have a daughter.” 

“ But surely, in a place like Rochester, they 
should be able to trace a little girl,” Dorothy in¬ 
sisted. 

“ They should be, but they were not. Aunt 
Mary wrote that the charitable society had buried 
the woman, and when a young lady from the or- 


A GIRL’S WEAPON 


147 


ganization went back to the rooms with the little 
girl she allowed her to escape. That is, the young 
lady went out to buy something and when she 
came back the girl was gone. ,, 

“ Did she run away? ” 

“ Haven’t the least idea. But say, Doro, we 
will be late, sure pop, and me putting on airs this 
morning. Quarter of nine. Now let’s see if we 
can beat last night’s record. I’ll set the pace,” 
and so saying the girls started off on a run, for 
it was most desirable that they reach the school a 
few minutes, at least, before the bell rang. 

Dorothy insisted Tavia should go straight to 
Miss Ellis and tell her how she was so anxious to 
keep up with her class. 

“ You might change your mind,” Dorothy re¬ 
marked laughing, “ and Tavia, there is nothing like 
outside help for keeping troublesome resolutions.” 

“ Guess you’re right,” said Tavia with a sigh. 
“ I may as well clinch it.” 

“ No slang now,” interrupted Dorothy. 
“ Graduates never use slang.” 

“ Then I’ve changed my mind already,” pouted 
Tavia, “ I must have slang or die — 4 Liberty of 
speech or death! ’ ” she exclaimed with a dramatic 
gesture. 

44 Come on,” pleaded Dorothy, who was really 


148 


DOROTHY DALE 


anxious that Tavia should speak to Miss Ellis be¬ 
fore the classes assembled. 

To her surprise Tavia learned from her teacher 
that she had not so very much to make up, and 
could, no doubt, do it if she tried. 

“ You have been doing very well lately,” said 
Miss Ellis, “ and during the days you were away 
we had scarcely any new lessons — nothing but 
review. You were always fair in mathematics 
when you put your mind to your work. Now let 
us see if you cannot surprise everyone by getting 
all through — not conditioned in anything.” 

Such encouragement was all Tavia needed. She 
went to work with a will that day, and every time 
Dorothy glanced over at her (for Dorothy was 
as anxious for her success as if it were entirely her 
own affair) she would see Tavia “ poring ” over 
her book as if her very life depended upon her ac¬ 
complishing just so much work and she was bound 
she would do it. 

How quickly the morning passed! It was so 
different to be busy in school, Tavia thought, so 
much better than having the hours drag along. At 
recess Alice hugged her in congratulation. 

“ I knew he would get it,” she said, referring, 
of course, to the new position of Mr. Travers, 
* l and father says we girls elected him. I see you 


A GIRL’S WEAPON 


149 


are already doing credit to the confidence with 
which Dalton people have intrusted your family.” 

“ I am sure father will give satisfaction,” Tavia 
answered, ignoring the intended compliment for 
herself. “ He had a splendid record in Millville.” 

“ And the picnic,” said Alice. “ Have you 
heard it is really coming off this time? Next 
Monday.” 

“ Then Sarah will be able to come,” remarked 
Tavia, “ I am just glad we waited for her.” 

All the girls agreed it would be especially nice 
to have a genuine reunion, as this would be the 
last holiday until vacation, and that, of course, 
would mean a scattering of classmates. 

“ It will be a star picnic,” declared Alice, as 
the girls returned to the school room. 

“ If nothing else happens,” said Dorothy with 
apprehension for which she could not account. 

“ Why did you say that? ” asked Tavia. 

“ I don’t know. But somehow I feel as if some¬ 
thing will happen,” and Dorothy had sufficient 
reason afterward to remember the premonition. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


DOROTHY IN DANGER 

Picnic day came at last, and with it there drew 
up to the gate of Dalton School two four-horse 
wagons, the regular “ straw-ride ” variety. 

Mr. Ford had provided the conveyances, and 
when all the girls had been seated on the big side 
benches with parasols, lunch boxes and “ happy 
smiling faces,” the ride itself constituted a thor¬ 
oughly enjoyable outing. 

Sarah was there, between Dorothy and Tavia, 
and upon her arrival at the school (the wagon had 
stopped for her as it came up) she received a 
hearty welcome — an ovation, Tavia called it. 

Her face was pale, and her manner nervous, but 
she whispered aside to Dorothy that she was so 
happy, and that she could never have been happy 
with the girls after the trouble if Dorothy had not 
“ straightened every thing out for her.” 

Miss Ellis, too, seemed very much pleased at the 
prospect of a happy day —“ after all,” she 
thought, “ her girls were well worth working for.” 

150 


DOROTHY IN DANGER 


151 

It was a beautiful day in June and the ride to 
the woods was perfumed with that rare and won¬ 
derful incense — vapory sweetness of flowers 
warmed by the soft sunshine of early summer. 

Blossoms brushed the faces of our friends as 
the picnic wagons rumbled on and many a wreath 
of “ laurel ” was pressed to the brow of fair gradu¬ 
ates as the maple leaves in the hands of willing 
weavers, were made into crowns for the “ grads.” 

A secret was plainly lurking in the eyes of Alice 
MacAllister. Dorothy had remarked that girls, 
alone, would probably be lost in the great, dark 
picnic place, for the pine trees grew so close there, 
the grounds were often called “ Twilight Grove ”; 
but Alice only smiled broadly and replied: 

“You just wait — the woods may be en¬ 
chanted.” 

“ Splendid idea,” declared Tavia, “ I do need so 
much a little Brownie or a goblin to help me with 
my housework. Fancy going home with a dear 
little Jackanapes to carry my ‘ dinner pail ’! ” and 
at this suggestion every one seemed to enjoy 
the grotesque idea that Tavia had outlined. 

The grove was finally reached, and the happy 
picnic party lost no time in leaving the wagons, and 
making for the “ best spots.” 

But no sooner had they entered the great tall 


152 


DOROTHY DALE 


gateway than they were set upon by a tribe of 
very lively goblins, for, from behind tree and bush 
there darted upon the unsuspecting girls a rollick¬ 
ing, frolicking band of boys — the boys’ school 
having come to the grove to surprise the girls, and 
help them enjoy the breaking up picnic. 

“ I told you we might find the woods enchanted,” 
said Alice who, of course had learned of the secret, 
as it was Mr. MacAllister who provided the 
wagons for the boys as well as for the girls. 

Such running about and such shouting! Some 
lads had hidden in the pines and now as the girls 
ran through the grove, the “ goblins ” dropped 
down upon their unsuspecting heads. 

Tavia and Alice helped make things livelier by 
gathering up parasols and lunch boxes that had 
been left in the wagons for safety. These they 
gave to the boys, who lost no time in forming a 
brigade, parasols in the air and boxes under arms, 
to the distress and dismay of the unlucky owners. 

But there was still another surprise in store for 
the school children. When everything was fairly 
settled down for a day in the woods, a two seated 
carriage drove in, and in this were President of the 
Town Council, Franklin MacAllister; the Treas¬ 
urer of Dalton, Major Dale, Squire Travers and 
Ralph Willoby. 


DOROTHY IN DANGER 


153 


Wild cheers went up from the woods as the 
party entered the grove; first for the president, 
then for the major and a “ hip-hip ” and series 
of hurrahs for the new squire. 

Certainly it was jolly to have such a crowd in 
the shady woods. The officials told Miss Ellis 
they came to get acquainted with the pupils of 
the Dalton schools. Also, they said, it was quite 
necessary to look after so important a gathering 
officially, as there was the lake, and other dan¬ 
gers, to which over enthusiastic youths might be 
more or less exposed. 

Major Dale and Mr. MacAllister only remained 
long enough to see that everything was satis¬ 
factorily started, and then left, charging Ralph 
Willoby and Squire Travers to act as special of¬ 
ficers. That this was a wise precaution was plainly 
demonstrated before the day ended. 

Toward noon the merry-makers scattered 
throughout the spacious grounds, looking for par¬ 
ticularly pleasant spots to eat lunch. This was 
by no means a difficult matter, for there were rus¬ 
tic benches built around wonderful trees, besides 
little caves lined with soft pine needles and cov¬ 
ered with brown mounds of them. 

The diversity of natural beauties made this grove 
famous, for many miles around, and never before, 


154 


DOROTHY DALE 


perhaps, was every nook and corner so thoroughly 
explored. 

Ralph and the squire roamed around, seeing to 
it that boys in boats kept a safe distance from the 
falls coming from the gates and old water wheel. 

From this falls the roaring of the water could 
be heard for a considerable distance, and so noisy 
were the rapids a person might shout at another 
but a few feet away without being able to make 
bis voice heard. 

But the falls had a strange charm for Dorothy, 
and after lunch she wandered there all alone, just 
to see, to think and to be quiet. Other attractions 
had now claimed the attention of her companions, 
and she sat there, enjoying the falls alone. 

She could scarcely hear a voice through the 
woods, so loudly did the falls splash and splatter. 

Who, in her place, could have heard a man 
stealing up to that very spot? Who could know 
a scoundrel was there, at that moment ready to 
seize Dorothy? 

A rough hand clutched her slender arm! 

That man — Anderson — was glaring into her 
eyes! Dorothy screamed shrilly. 

“ Hush! ” commanded the man, “ or I’ll throw 
you over the falls! ” and his hand was upon Dor¬ 
othy’s throat, preventing further outcry. 


DOROTHY IN DANGER 


155 


“ Tell me,” he growled, “ did Miles Burlock 
leave his money with your father?” 

Poor Dorothy felt as if the world had gone, 
and all the woes of death were upon her! 

Looking about him hastily the man loosed his 
hold on her throat for an answer, but instead an¬ 
other shrill scream rent the air. 

“ You little fool! ” he muttered, “ do you want 
me to throw you over?” 

But at that moment an answer came — Ralph 
Willoby bounded through the grove and had Dor¬ 
othy in his arms before she could realize he was 
there! Then with a look of baffled rage the man 
disappeared. 

“ Ralph! ” whispered Dorothy. 

“ You are all right now,” the young man as¬ 
sured her, putting his arm firmly around the 
trembling girl, “ if you feel faint I can carry you. 
Do not try to walk.” 

The noise of the falls was gone now — the sky 
was all black. 

“ Oh,” gasped Dorothy, “ I can’t hear, or see, 
I am —” 

It was welcome oblivion, however painful that 
clutch at her heart. 

She could not remember — was it Ralph, or the 
squire ? 


156 


DOROTHY DALE 


She had been thinking how brave Ralph was — 
But now she could not think, it was all dark 
night! 


CHAPTER XIX 


A SURPRISE TRIP 

When Ralph Willoby carried his senseless bur- 
den to the platform, where, so short a time before, 
the girl had been as merry as any of her playmates, 
Squire Travers determined upon one thing — to 
form a searching party of all the boys to scour the 
woods from tree to stump and if possible run down 
the villain who had attacked Dorothy. 

The fainting girl was soon revived by the care¬ 
ful ministrations of Miss Ellis, assisted by pupils 
following her directions; and, before the half-con¬ 
scious girl realized what had happened to her, the 
boys were running through the woods, led by the 
squire and Ralph, bent on finding Anderson. 

But such reflections were of little use now that 
the harm was done. Dorothy was very weak in¬ 
deed. She felt as if those sinuous fingers were still 
about her throat, and she could see those terrible 
eyes peering into hers in spite of all her efforts to 
forget her awful experience. 

157 


158 


DOROTHY DALE 


Some boys had already been sent off to the near¬ 
est place where it would be possible to get a con¬ 
veyance to take her home, and they now returned 
with a covered carriage. 

Into this Miss Ellis and Dorothy were assisted, 
while the remainder of the girls were soon ready 
to leave the grounds in the large picnic wagons. 

The boys “ to a man ” remained in the woods, 
helping diligently in, what now seemed to be, a 
useless search. 

Over the narrow plank, just above the dam, the 
man no doubt had escaped to the other side, where 
the old ruins of a mill, with a big water wheel, 
made a safe hiding place for the fellow. 

Squire Travers was much annoyed and worried 
over the occurrence. To think such a thing could 
happen with him right there, in the woods, seemed 
incredible. 

But Ralph assured him a similar thing had hap¬ 
pened in the public streets of Dalton, and the same 
man had gotten away. Why should it be strange 
then that he would be able to make his escape in 
a dense woods? 

“ But he must be caught,” insisted the squire, 
“ if we have to canvass the entire town and sur¬ 
rounding places to get him.” 

Some boys suggested that they disguise them- 


A SURPRISE TRIP 


159 


selves as girls impersonating Dorothy and Tavia, 
and then wait to be “ caught ” while help remained 
close at hand. But it was decided such a ruse 
would hardly work that day, as the man would 
know well enough the girls would not again leave 
themselves liable to attack. 

It was a very discouraged band of boys, with 
Squire Travers and Ralph Willoby as their leaders, 
that wended their way back to Dalton Center that 
evening. The picnic, of course, had been spoiled, 
but that did not amount to anything — it was the 
attack on Dorothy, and the escape of her assailant 
that concerned the searching party. 

The squire and Ralph upon reaching town went 
directly to the office of President MacAllister, and 
the result of the meeting held there marked an 
epoch in the history of the township of Dalton. 
The new squire had outlined a plan that every 
suspicious character found in the place should be 
apprehended at once, and no sooner had this edict 
gone forth than the suspected ones very quietly 
took their departure. While it was generally be¬ 
lieved the trouble had to do with a personal af¬ 
fair, there seemed danger of course to all, while 
such persons as this “ tramp ” were at liberty. 

But confidence was at once established by the 
ruling of the squire, which put an end to the reign 


DOROTHY DALE 


160 

of terror, and Dalton became once more a pleasant 
place to live in. 

The details of government had little interest now 
for Dorothy Dale, as she tossed feverishly about 
on her bed that night dreaming of the awful man. 
Dr. Gray had recommended that some one remain 
with her, on account of her nervous condition, and 
Tavia insisted on being allowed to sit up with her 
friend. 

A cot was arranged in Dorothy’s room for 
Tavia, but she was too anxious about the sick one 
to sleep. What if Dorothy should die? What a 
lonely world this would be for Tavia without her. 

Several times during the night Aunt Libby came 
in and tried to induce Tavia to take another room, 
and allow her to stay with Dorothy, but the volun¬ 
teer nurse would not leave her post. 

“ Do go, Tavia,” said Dorothy, who had just 
opened her eyes, and heard Aunt Libby’s argument, 
“ I’m all right now; only nervous.” 

“ But I’ve promised myself a whole night with 
you, and I’m not going to be chased away, just 
at the witching hour,” Tavia insisted. 

But tired nature produced an argument incon¬ 
trovertible, and when Tavia stretched out on the 
comfortable cot, and tried to chat as lively to Dor¬ 
othy as if it had been mid-day on the side porch, 


A SURPRISE TRIP 


161 


she began to feel drowsy, then she noticed Dorothy 
did not answer promptly, and so she made her 
words “ long and draggy ” as mothers do when 
babies show signs of “ giving in.” Presently there 
was a hush — both nurse and patient were sound 
asleep. 

When Dr. Gray called the next morning he ad¬ 
vised a complete change for Dorothy. She was 
physically well enough, he said, but the shock to 
her nervous system might result in complete pros¬ 
tration, unless her mind was speedily disabused of 
the unpleasant memory. 

Major Dale knew this advice was wise, and he 
concluded to send Dorothy to visit his sister, Mrs. 
Winthrop White, of North Birchland. 

“ Pleasant company,” said the doctor to 
Major Dale as he left, “ is all the girl wants. I 
wouldn’t wonder but that little friend of hers — 
the lively one,— would help her, if it could be 
made convenient for her to go along.” 

Convenient? That uncertainty had nothing to 
do with circumstances important to his daughter’s 
health, Major Dale decided. If Tavia’s company 
would be beneficial to Dorothy’s health Tavia 
should go to North Birchland with Dorothy. 

The question of school did not signify, either, 
the major reasoned, for if Tavia could not afford 


DOROTHY DALE 


162 

to lose the remaining weeks in the term he would 
see that they were made up for, amply. 

Arrangements were quickly made, letters dis¬ 
patched back and forth, and before the girls had 
time to think it over themselves, they were told to 
be ready for the morning train. 

“ Oh, isn’t it perfectly grand! ” exclaimed the 
excited Tavia, “ but do you think, Doro, I will be 
able to behave myself, to eat properly and all 
that?” 

“ Why, Tavia,” answered Dorothy, “ you will 
find real aristocratic people are as simple as we are 
in manners; it is only those who try to be ‘ some¬ 
body,’ and who do not know how, that make such 
a fuss over everything. Aunt Winnie is a lovely 
lady — we call her Winnie from Winthrop, be¬ 
cause her own name is Ruth and we have another 
Aunt Ruth out West.” 

“ Lucky thing I had my ‘ new ’ dress, and all 
the other things Aunt Mary sent by express last 
week. And father’s new suit case his men pre¬ 
sented him with when he left the factory — wasn’t 
that providential? ” asked Tavia. 

Dorothy admitted it was fortunate, and so, as 
this was the very evening before their departure, 
the girls arranged such matters as required con- 


A SURPRISE TRIP 163 

sultation and then hurried off to attend to so many 
little things necessary for travelers. 

Aunt Libby could not hide a tear when Dorothy 
put her arms about the wrinkled neck, but when 
Major Dale helped his daughter to step upon the 
train platform he was smiling; glad to have her go 
it seemed. Joe told Johnnie afterwards that was 
the way soldiers always act when they face trouble. 

Mrs. Travers was really glad to have Tavia go, 
and she did not deny it. It was such a chance for 
her, she told Aunt Libby, as they went home from 
the depot, and Tavia, she declared, was a girl who 
always made the most of her chances. 

As the train flew along, or Dalton flew away, as 
it seemed from the car windows, both girls indulged 
in a very creditable sentiment — a streak of home¬ 
sickness. 

“ It will be fun, of course,” remarked Tavia* 
“ but it’s creepy to leave them all.” 

Passengers about them soon attracted their at¬ 
tention sufficiently to make the journey interesting. 
Tavia had such a way of seeing things to make 
Dorothy laugh, that little of interest escaped her. 

Old ladies with black silk bags were her especial 
prey, and these she never failed to analyze — ac¬ 
cording to her own special method. 


164 


DOROTHY DALE 


Women with babies also afforded no end of 
amusement to Tavia, and when she found a regu¬ 
lar nursery cooking outfit in the “ end room ” of 
the car she could scarcely be restained. 

“ I could make you the nicest clam boullion,” 
she told Dorothy, “ and besides cooking, that little 
alcohol lamp is just the thing for hair crimping. 
I will crimp mine if I can find anything to make a 
hot poker of in this train.” 

“ You really must not touch anything,” Dorothy 
insisted, alarmed lest Tavia should do something 
reckless. 

“Touch anything? Why my dear girl I have 
tested the entire outfit, and I am going to get one 
just like it for my hasty breakfasts.” 

The woman to whom the “ entire outfit ” be¬ 
longed was now almost asleep beside her baby, on 
the end sofa, and Tavia assuring Dorothy she 
would stay there indefinitely, sallied forth to fur¬ 
ther investigate the mysteries of a nursery cooking 
outfit, en route. 


CHAPTER XX 


EVENTFUL JOURNEY 

As Tavia reached the end sofa, upon which a 
pretty golden-haired baby lay curled beside a 
sleepy mother, she made a motion to attract the 
child’s attention. The little one saw it at once, 
promptly slipped down and stole away from the 
sofa without in the least disturbing the woman. 

The t£t followed Tavia to the little end room 
— Dorothy saw her going, and though feeling 
very drowsy herself (which really was the reason 
Tavia left her alone) Dorothy kept her eyes 
opened long enough to see that the mother was 
sound asleep, and had not missed her baby. 

“ I am sure Tavia will take good care of her,” 
thought Dorothy, as she settled down for a rest, 
“ she is so fond of children, and it will be a change 
for the child — traveling must be very tiresome to 
such little ones.” 

The train rumbled on. Dorothy thought of 
home, of the good father and two dear brothers 
she had left there. Then she wondered what 
165 


DOROTHY DALE 


166 

would happen at North Birchland. It was such 
a lovely summer place, and her relatives there were 
sure to do all they could to make the stay pleasant. 

In the White family there were besides Mrs. 
Winthrop White, her two sons, Edward and 
Nathaniel, aged sixteen and fourteen years. Pro¬ 
fessor White, their father, had died suddenly some 
years before, while on an expedition out in quest 
of scientific data, but the White family possessed 
almost unlimited means, so that Major Dale’s sis¬ 
ter, while lonely enough in life without her hus¬ 
band, had the pleasant duty of bringing up two 
talented and good looking boys in a way that be¬ 
fitted the positions they would occupy as their 
father’s sons — the White family being among the 
most aristocratic in New York state. 

Dorothy had not seen her cousins in three years, 
the boys’ time, between vacations, being spent at 
school, and the intervals of late being occupied 
with trips abroad. As she traveled on now, and 
became more and more sleepy Dorothy wondered 
if Nat were as full of mischief as he used to be 
when he visited Dalton, and if Ned still spent his 
spare time chasing butterflies to add new specimen 
to his collection. 

But even these interesting reflections are not to 
be compared with such sedative influence as the 


EVENTFUL JOURNEY 


167 

rumbling of a train with a summer breeze coming 
in the window, and the girl, weary enough from 
her fright at the falls and its consequent shock to 
her nervous system soon forgot to think — she was 
asleep. 

Meanwhile Tavia was occupied with the pretty 
baby in the end compartment. The child was 
about three years old, and remarkably com¬ 
municative for her age. The little alcohol lamp, 
she told Tavia, was used to heat her milk, also 
to curl her hair, for mamma never took her to the 
hotel without curls, she said. 

To bear out this statement, Lily, that was the 
little stranger’s name, produced from a satchel 
under the wash basin a tiny pair of curling irons. 

It seemed like fate to Tavia,— there was the 
very thing she had been wishing for — curling 
tongs. 

“ Let’s try it,” she suggested, as Lily prattled on 
about the wonderful “ real ” curls that the iron 
could make. 

A careful investigation revealed to Tavia the 
secrets of the alcohol lamp. Everything was there 
— even to matches. 

Being sure the lamp was placed firmly upon the 
marble slab, Tavia struck a match and lighted the 
wick. 


DOROTHY DALE 


[i 68 

“ There,’’ she said with evident satisfaction, 
“ that part was easy enough.” 

“ You put the iron right in there,” directed Lily, 
and Tavia promptly followed the advice. 

“ Sit on my lap w 7 hile it heats,” Tavia told the 
child, not thinking it safe to allow her to move 
about in the small place with a strange kind of 
stove burning. 

The child jumped up eager to hear a story. 
The wood-kind, full of bears with remarkable ap¬ 
petites, pleased her most, Tavia discovered, and 
it was in such a mental delight that the child passed 
a very happy little “ minute.” 

“ It must be hot—” said Tavia. 

She turned and at that very moment a strange 
flash shot up to the ceiling! 

An explosion! Then such a blinding flame! 

With the child still in her arms Tavia made a 
dash for the door. Frantically she pulled at it 
but it would not open! The child screamed 
piteously. 

“Help! Help!” shouted Tavia, clutching at 
the knob with one hand, while she clung to the 
child with the other. 

Instantly Dorothy was on her feet and down at 
that little door. 


EVENTFUL JOURNEY 169 

“ Open it! ” she screamed, for the smell of 
smoke had reached her on the outside. 

Without waiting for an answer, or for those at 
hand to act, Dorothy jumped to a seat and grasped 
the bell rope. 

At that moment the door gave in to Tavia’s pull¬ 
ing, and she fell headlong out into the aisle with 
the baby in her arms. 

The train stopped, and brakemen were now run¬ 
ning through the cars in search of the trouble. 
Passengers had broken the tool boxes and were 
fighting the spreading flames with hand grenades 
and portable extinguishers. Fainting women 
called for attention — among these being Lily’s 
mother. 

Tavia was now lifted to a seat, and Dorothy 
had called into her ears that the baby was safe — : 
she was not even scratched! 

But Tavia was not so fortunate, for an ugly red 
mark showed where the tongue of fire scorched her, 
and her hair — 

One side was entirely burned off! 

Dorothy’s heart sank as she noticed the loss, but 
it was nothing, of course, compared to what might 
have happened to the baby. 

The excitement in the rear of the car had, by 


170 


DOROTHY DALE 


this time subsided somewhat, showing that the 
flames were extinguished. Lily, safe and unin¬ 
jured, sat in her mother’s lap — no danger of her 
getting away again evidently. 

Among the passengers was a doctor who offered 
his services to Tavia. The burns were slight, he 
declared but there was danger of shock, and the 
loss of her beautiful hair was to be regretted. 

Tavia tried to laugh to assure Dorothy she was 
all right, and then she insisted upon talking about 
the accident. 

“ The lamp did not explode,” she declared. 
“ The fire came from the other end of the room.” 

The trainmen listened anxiously to this report. 
They were obliged to make a most careful in¬ 
vestigation, and Tavia was very willing to help 
them. Professional looking men crowded around 
— one who introduced himself to the doctor as a 
well known lawyer of Rochester called Dorothy 
aside and offered to look out for the interests of the 
injured girl. 

“ Whatever you think best,” Dorothy said, “ I 
have never had any experience with law. But if 
you think we should take account of it at all I 
should be most grateful for your help.” 

Then Tavia was taken into a private compart¬ 
ment, and there, with Dorothy encouraging her. 


EVENTFUL JOURNEY 


171 

and the lawyer and doctor listening, she told the 
story of the accident. 

“ I had lighted the alcohol lamp,” she declared, 
“ but I am positive that did not explode. The 
flash came from behind us — the other end of the 
room. Then the door would not open — oh how 
dreadful that was! ” 

For a moment Tavia covered her eyes, then she 
resumed: 

“ I heard Dorothy’s voice and that seemed to 
keep me from falling in the smoke. At last the 
door opened and that’s all I know.” 

“ Now, you just rest here,” the doctor advised, 
“ while Mr. French and I do some outside in¬ 
vestigating.” 

Then it was that the important clew was dis¬ 
covered, for at the very door of the little room, 
where the fire had raged, was found a piece of glass 
with a label! 

Gasolene! 

“ She was right,” declared the lawyer, taking 
possession of the tell-tale piece of bottle, the rail¬ 
road men would have been so glad to have seen 
first, “ this tells the story. A bottle of gasolene 
exploded.” 

Looking carefully over the damaged room the 
lawyer made some entries in his note book and, 


172 


DOROTHY DALE 


with the doctor, approached Lily’s mother. The 
woman positively refused to make known her name, 
and even the railroad men had not succeeded in 
learning who she was. 

“ That my baby is safe,” she declared, “ is all 
I ask. People saw the girl coax her off, but even 
this I am entirely willing to overlook, and I will 
positively make no claims against the company.” 

The doctor saw the child was not in the least 
injured, and also was convinced there was no dan¬ 
ger of shock to the little nervous system, as the 
tot looked upon the whole occurrence as “ good 
fun,” so the professional men withdrew their offer 
to serve either the woman or her child. 


CHAPTER XXI 


at aunt Winnie’s 

Dorothy had fastened Tavia’s hair up under 
her hat, so that the one long and uninjured side 
covered the burnt ends and hid the damage. She 
looked like a pretty boy, Dorothy told her, and 
the red line about her neck was not noticeable at 
all, for around the scar Dorothy had pinned her 
own white silk handkerchief. Except for a few 
tell-tale spots of “ scorch ” marking the back of 
her new dress, from her appearance Tavia might 
never have been suspected of being the heroine of 
a railroad accident. 

“ Oh, there is Aunt Winnie! ” exclaimed Dor¬ 
othy as the train stopped, and she looked out of the 
window near the door. 

A depot wagon was drawn up to the platform, 
and in it sat a stylishly dressed woman. 

If Tavia had felt “ alarmed at the style ” as 
she afterward told Dorothy, the moment Mrs. 
White grasped her hand in welcoming her to Birch- 
173 


174 


DOROTHY DALE 


land all nervousness left her, for Mrs. White 
had an unmistakable way of greeting her guests — 
she really was glad to see them. Dorothy climbed' 
up beside her aunt, while Tavia took the spare 
seat at front, and it seemed to her the world had 
suddenly fallen from its level, everything was be¬ 
neath her. She had risen physically, mentally and 
socially from her former self — the first ride on 
a box seat was an inspiration to the country girl, 
and Tavia felt its influence keenly. 

Dorothy chatted pleasantly to her aunt, occasion¬ 
ally referring to something to Tavia to give her 
a chance to join in the conversation and Tavia 
noticed that Dorothy had already cheered up won¬ 
derfully. 

“ I suppose this is the sort of company Doro 
belongs in ” Tavia thought. “ There is something 
so different about society people.” 

Mrs. White certainly was different. She knew 
exactly how to interest the girls, and she also knew: 
how to make them feel at home. She had asked 
all sorts of polite questions about Dalton folks, 
and showed the keenest interest in the new appoint¬ 
ment of Squire Travers. Tavia insisted that Dor¬ 
othy had elected him, and this item of news Mrs. 
White begged Tavia would repeat to the “ boys ” 
as she declared they would be “ just delighted to 


AT AUNT WINNIE’S 


i 75 


hear how their girl cousin managed Dalton 
politics.” 

The boys were at camp, Mrs. White told the 
girls, and an early visit to their quarters was 
among the treats promised. 

From the station to the “ Cedars ” was but a 
short ride, and when the carriage turned into the 
cedar shaded driveway Tavia felt another 
“ spasm ” of alarm — it was such an imposing 
looking place. 

“ This is where you may play games,” said Mrs. 
White, pointing out the broad campus behind the 
trees. “ The boys have no end of sport hiding 
in the cedars, and I am sure you girls will find 
them jolly. There are some very pleasant neigh¬ 
bors at the next cottage — one young girl among 
them.” 

“ This is splendid,” Tavia said. “ We can in¬ 
vent new games here. I think 1 tree-toad ’ would 
be a novelty.” 

Presently the luggage was taken in by the man, 
while the girls followed Mrs. White up the broad 
staircase to their rooms. 

“ Now, my dears,” said their hostess, as she 
opened the doors to two connecting rooms, “ here 
is where you will ‘ pitch your tents ’ as the boys 
would say. I hope you will be comfortable, but 


176 


DOROTHY DALE 


should you need anything Dorothy knows the plan 
of this house — just ask for anything you want. 
I’ll leave you now. We will lunch as soon as you 
feel refreshed.” 

“ But, auntie,” called Dorothy, as Mrs. White 
passed into the hall, “ won’t you come here a mo¬ 
ment? I have a very interesting thing to tell 
you,” and as Mrs. White stepped back to the door 
again, Dorothy snatched the hat from Tavia’s 
head. 

Instantly the “ installment ” hair fell to the 
waist on one side, and clung to Tavia’s neck at the 
other. 

“Why!” exclaimed the aunt. “What on 
earth has happened to the child’s locks? ” 

“ Hair tonic model,” laughed Dorothy, “ sit 
down, auntie, and I will tell you.” 

Mrs. White took the uninjured mass of golden 
brown tresses into her hands. 

“ Some one stole them, of course,” she ventured. 

“ One more guess! ” smiled Dorothy. 

At this the scar on Tavia’s neck was discovered. 

“Not in a fire?” exclaimed the aunt. 

“ Exactly,” declared Dorothy, and then she told 
of the railroad accident. 

“ Why, you poor dear! ” sighed Mrs. White to 
Tavia, “ you must be quite ill from the shock. 


AT AUNT WINNIE’S 


17 7 


Get into bed immediately, and I will see how we 
can doctor you up,” and before Tavia had a chance 
to protest against the “ treatment ” she found her¬ 
self in bed, shoes and dress off, and wrapped in a 
comfortable robe Dorothy had brought in her bag. 

“ Now,” teased Dorothy, “ you wanted to know 
how it feels to be sick. How do you like it? ” 

“ Best ever,” replied the girl in the pillows. 
“ Make it incurable please.” 

“ Here,” announced their hostess, appearing at 
the door with a steaming bowl that smelled good. 
“ Just drink this boullion. I believe that more 
lives might be saved by the hot boullion process 
than by the reported efficacy of hot whisky. One 
stays hot, the other turns into chills. Just drink 
this dear, and I will banish Dorothy. I know how 
she can talk when one should sleep — she roomed 
with me one summer,” and at this Dorothy was 
whisked out of the room by her aunt, and Tavia 
left to commune with the pleasant aroma of hot 
boullion with chopped parsley flavoring. 

“ Riches are not to be despised,” she commented, 
when the paneled door closed her away from 
friends for the moment. “ I wonder Major Dale 
does not let Dorothy stay with her aunt; she would 
know exactly how to train her in society ways, and 
Dorothy is plainly cut out to be a leader where 


178 


DOROTHY DALE 


€ver she goes. I suppose/’ reflected the girl, 
“ some day Mrs. White will introduce her into her 
social world and then —” 

A step in the hall aroused her from her rather 
tangled reverie, and presently Dorothy stood be¬ 
fore her with an immense bunch of “ Jack ” roses. 

“ Oh! ” exclaimed Tavia, in unfeigned admira¬ 
tion, “ have you been to heaven stealing flowers? ” 

“ No, an angel tossed them down,” replied Dor¬ 
othy, “ and her card said they were for you.” 
Whereat she held out to Tavia the “ angelic ” 
bouquet. 

“ Oh Dorothy Darling Dale! I never saw 
such flowers! I have always thought the wild 
kinds prettier than those that grew so proud-like 
but there is just as much difference between a 
Jack-in-the-pulpit and a real Jack rose as there is 
between you and me! ” 

“ Well Jack, I like you just as well as if you 
grew in a hot house — better, because you have 
taught me the value of life’s storms — you have 
grown outside and know the music of the winds,” 
and with the flowers she gave her friend all the 
hug she dared risk in the presence of the “ rail¬ 
road line ” on Tavia’s neck. 

“ But you have the sweetness of the greenhouse,” 


AT AUNT WINNIE’S 


179 


insisted Tavia, “ and that blows off with the music 
of the winds.” 

u Well, we will not quarrel over our virtues,” 
said Dorothy, “ the thing to discuss at present is 
what are you going to do with the railroad 
money? ” 

“ What money?” inquired Tavia, showing sur¬ 
prise. 

“ Your damages, of course. How much do you 
calculate your other braid w r as worth?” 

“ Not worth talking about.” 

“ But if you were offered a fair price for it you 
would not refuse ? ” persisted Dorothy. 

“ No, I’d take most anything from a cream soda 
to a twenty-five cent piece.” 

“ Well, my dear, now compose yourself. Get 
a good hold on the chair near you, or better still 
sit down, since you insist on getting out of bed. I 
have a very lively piece of news for you — the 
sensational kind.” 

“ Let her go,” called Tavia grasping the chair 
with both hands. 

“ It is this. Aunt Winnie says you will un¬ 
doubtedly received damages for the accident. She 
says Mr. French is a noted lawyer and he will 
possibly arrange it so that all you will have to do 


DOROTHY DALE 


180 

is to put your name to the signing-off paper. The 
fact that you lighted the lamp, auntie says, will 
not do away with the fact that a careless employee 
left that explosive there.” 

“ Do you know, Dorothy,” said Tavia in her 
most serious tone, “ the only thing that has con¬ 
soled me for asking that baby in there is, that 
she told me she was going in for a drink of water, 
and had she done so she would, or at least might, 
have tasted the poison stuff. She was the most 
meddlesome child and might have killed herself.” 

“ Certainly her mother would have allowed her 
to roam about as she pleased,” said Dorothy, “ for 
people told me after the accident that little Lily 
had been in almost every seat in the car, while 
her mother curled herself up on that sofa. It is 
a strange thing to me that most women travelers 
are more careful of their dogs than of their babies. 
Did you notice that blonde with the soft leather 
bag? Well, she had a poodle in that bag, it is 
against the rules, you know, to keep animals in the 
passenger cars, but that lady had her bag open on 
the seat, and every time a brakeman came through 
she would pull the string and close the bag. Then 
once in a while she would let the dog run around 
a bit. But indeed she did not let it get away like 
Lily’s mother let her go.” 


AT AUNT WINNIE’S 


181 


“ And do you really think the railroad people 
will pay me damages? ” 

“ I am almost sure of it. Aunt Winnie is a 
very clever business woman, and if they come while 
we are here it will be all the better for you. Just 
think! Suppose they should offer five hundred 
dollars! ” 

“ I am too poor to be able to think of five hun¬ 
dred dollars all at once. I will have to try it on 
the installment plan. But wouldn’t it be jolly if 
I did get a good sum,” and Tavia’s eyes took on 
a far-away look — perhaps all the way to Dalton 
and happiness. 


CHAPTER XXII 


THE PRICE OF TAVIA’s TRESSES 

A week had passed at North Birchland, with 
Dorothy and Tavia enjoying every succeeding 
hour better than the last, when the expected law¬ 
yers arrived to interview the victim of the railroad 
fire. 

Fortunately Mrs. White was at home, and more 
fortunately still was the arrival of Mr. French with 
the strange lawyer. 

Tavia was flushed and nervous when Dorothy 
helped her to dress for the interview. 

“ Now don’t you mind it a bit,” said Dorothy. 
“ Just keep thinking that you might have been very 
seriously injured, and that the railroad people 
should be more careful for the sake of others. 
Then you will forget all about the lawyers and 
their statements.” 

Mrs. White was talking to the men in the re¬ 
ception room. Certainly the shock had been se¬ 
vere, she said, and only the fact that Miss Travers 
182 


THE PRICE OF TAVIA’S TRESSES 183 


was unusually lively in temperament had saved her 
from more serious results. 

Dorothy entered the room with Tavia. 

“ These are the young ladies,” said Mr. French, 
introducing them. “ This one was shut in the 
room with the fire.” 

Tavia felt her face flush, and her nerves throb 
painfully. It was so embarassing to be the object 
of such scrutiny. 

Then began a fire of questions, Mr. French in 
every instance indicating how Tavia should an¬ 
swer. The railroad lawyer, Mr. Banks, trying of 
course, to trip Tavia into admitting that the lamp 
exploded first, and the bottle blew up after. But 
Tavia was positive in declaring that the blaze came 
from the far corner of the room, whereas the stove 
was directly at her side. This was also indicated 
by a map which Mr. French produced, and upon 
which Tavia marked the various spots where the 
bench stood, where the marble slab with the stove 
was situated, and where the bottle appeared to 
come from — a far corner of the slab. 

“ Will you let down your hair, please,” said 
Mr. French, and Dorothy promptly drew the pins 
from Tavia’s tresses, allowing the unscorched braid 
to fall below her waist, while the burnt ends were 
charred almost to her neck, the red scar showing 


184 


DOROTHY DALE 


how close to her head the flames had really crept 

“ That is a loss, of course,” said Mr. French, 
taking the long waves in his hand, “ but it shows 
the great danger her life was in. Also, Mr. Banks, 
notice this scar. That was dressed on the train by 
Dr. Brown, of Fairview.” 

Both lawyers examined the scar. Tavia felt as 
if she would run from the room, the very moment 
they took their hands off her, but Dorothy smiled 
encouragingly, and Mrs. White rang for a maid 
to fetch a glass of water. This had the effect of 
distracting Tavia, who now stood there being 
cross-examined like an expert witness. 

Finally Mr. French said: 

“ That will do, thank you.” 

Tavia had barely tasted the water, and as she 
crossed the room to reach her chair, she felt dizzy. 
The next moment she was in Mrs. White’s arms, 
unconscious. 

“ I saw she was pale,” exclaimed the lady, while 
the gentlemen opened the windows and Dorothy 
ran for some restoratives. “ But I did not think 
she would go off like that.” 

It did not take long, however, to revive the faint¬ 
ing girl, and when she had been helped to her 
room the lawyers held a conference with Mrs. 
White and then left the Cedars. 


THE PRICE OF TAVIA’S TRESSES 185 


“Wasn’t that dreadfully stupid!” sighed 
Tavia, as she lay stretched out on the soft, white 
bed. 

“ Not at all, my dear,” replied Mrs. White, 
who at that moment appeared at the door. “ You 
could not # have done better had you been coached, 
for it shows how the shock has unnerved you. 
And you may as well know that the company has 
offered to settle for live hundred dollars.” 

“Five hundred dollars!” echoed Tavia. 

“ Yes, my dear. For my part I should count a 
braid of hair such as you lost worth twice that 
sum, but even at that price I could not obtain it. 
No one ever values a fine head of hair until it is 
gone — like the dry well, you know. But you are 
young enough to grow another braid, and that is 
the beauty of it. Mr. French said your father 
gave him full power to act, and so he will accept 
the company’s offer. And the line thing about it 
is he does not want a commission — only his ex¬ 
penses, which are nominal.” 

“Isn’t that perfectly splendid!” exclaimed 
Dorothy, throwing her arms about Tavia. 

“ Some people are born lucky, and others have 
luck thrust upon them,” said Tavia pleasantly. 
“ In this case it was as usual. I did the mischief 
and Dorothy did the rest. That lawyer would 


186 


DOROTHY DALE 


never have noticed me if Dorothy hadn’t shown 
her pluck — why, she had my flaming hair 
wrapped up in a brakeman’s coat before he had de¬ 
cided whether to throw it out of the window or 
over the ice cooler. He seemed to be worried 
about the ice, for it was directly in the path of the 
fire.” 

“ Nonsense,” said Dorothy, blushing. “ He 
very politely pulled off his coat when I asked him 
to, and of course, he did not know just what to do 
with it.” 

“ Lucky thing it was a railroad coat,” went on 
Tavia, “ or we might have had to pay damages.” 

“ Lu.cky thing Dorothy had such presence of 
mind, at any rate,” remarked Mrs. White, “ for 
another touch of that flame and your face, Tavia, 
might have had a different bill against the railroad 
company. However, as it ends like a love story, 
we will live happily ever after,” and she gave 
Tavia such an affectionate kiss, that the girl felt a 
strange nearness to her new-found friend as if she 
had been suddenly adopted, socially at least, into 
Dorothy’s family. 

“ And now, my dears,” went on their hostess, 
“ I expect the boys out from camp this afternoon, 
so you must rest up, and look your prettiest.” 

Tavia sat up and looked about her. 


THE PRICE OF TAVIA’S TRESSES 187 


“ Did you ever hear that story about why a 
widower was like a baby?” she asked Dorothy. 
“ Well, I feel just like him. They say he cried 
for the first six months, then sat up and looked 
around and it was hard to pull him through the 
second summer. Now I am looking around, but 
when I get my five hundred I am afraid I will 
hardly last through the second summer.” 

“ I know you will like the boys,” remarked 
Dorothy. 

“ But who will cut my poor old hair? ” sang 
Tavia to the meerschaum pipe tune. 

“We will have to put it up in the folded fire 
escape fashion,” said Dorothy, “ until we can 
drive out to a barber’s. It is too late this after¬ 
noon.” 

“Whatever will momsey say? ’’thought Tavia 
aloud. 

“ That you would have made a very good-look¬ 
ing boy,” replied Dorothy. “ I am sure I never 
saw a girl to whom short hair was so becoming.” 

“ It must look well with a five hundred-dollar 
note for a background. I tell you, Doro, money 
covers a multitude of crimes. I wonder if little 
Lily of the fire room has cooled off yet.” 

“ But you haven’t seen the new clothes auntie 
had brought us — yes us, for she has not forgot- 


i88 


DOROTHY DALE 


ten you. You are well able to pay bills now, you 
know,” and Dorothy gave a mischievous little tug 
at Tavia’s elbow. “ But wait, wait till you see 
what you are to wear this very evening. The box 
has just come up, and I will open it.” 

Whereupon Dorothy pulled in from the hall 
door a great purple box labeled “ robes.” Tavia 
was on her knees beside it before Dorothy had a 
chance to untie the strings. What girl does not 
like to see brand, new, pretty dresses come out of 
their original box? 

Layers of tissue paper were first unwrapped, 
then a glow of brilliant red shown through the last 
covering. 

“ Whew! ” exclaimed Tavia, “ a rainbow gown, 
I’ll bet. Then she gave her usual text, as Dorothy 
called her spontaneous rhymes: 

“ Breathes there a girl with soul so dead, 

Who never to herself has said, 

I love to wear a dress bright red! ” 

“ And I love red better than butter, and I love 
butter better than ice cream — so there! Dorothy 
Dale, that dress on top I claim.” 

The “ bright red ” was in full view now, and 
it was really a beautiful gown. Not extrava¬ 
gantly so, but as Dorothy said “ exquisitely so.” 


THE PRICE OF TAVIA’S TRESSES 18 g 


The material was of dimity, over muslin, and tiny 
rows of “ val.” lace formed a yoke and edgings. 
A broad sash of flowered ribbon — all in shades 
of red, with bows of the same in narrow width 
finished the shoulders. 

“ Yes, it is for you,” said Dorothy, “ Auntie 
said red would suit you.” 

“ I have always loved it, but folks said my hair 
was red.” 

“ Indeed it never was. And don’t you know 
how great dressmakers insist upon sandy haired 
girls wearing red? The real red in material con¬ 
trasts with hair red, so as to make the brown red 
browner. There now, is a new puzzle. When 
is brown red?” 

“ When a sassy boy calls it red,” promptly an¬ 
swered Tavia, remembering how she always feared 
the “ red-head ” epithet. 

“ Isn’t it sweet?” exclaimed Dorothy, holding 
the new gown up for inspection. 

“Oh, a perfect love!” declared Tavia. “I 
thought my Rochester creation doesn’t that 
sound well — simply ‘ gloriotious,’ but this is bea¬ 
tific!” 

“ Like a sunset,” suggested Dorothy. “ But 
I must get acquainted with mine.” 


igo 


DOROTHY DALE 


Another layer of paper and a pale blue robe was 
extracted. 

“ Oh, I know,” cried Tavia, clapping her hands 
like a delighted child, “ It’s morning and evening. 
I’m sunrise and you are evening. Or I’m sunset 
and you are evening.” 

“ Oh! ” exclaimed Dorothy, too enraptured to 
say more. 

“ And with your yellow head you will look like 
an angel.” 

“ Now, see here, Miss Sunset and Sunrise, I 
don’t mind being cloudy or even starry, nor yet 
heavenly, but don’t you dare go one latitude or 
longitude further. I am mortally afraid Aunt 
Winnie has elected to wear amethyst this very even¬ 
ing, and when the combination gets together I ex¬ 
pect something will happen — something like Mt. 
Pelee, you know.” 

“ We might call it our elementary evening,” 
went on Tavia, “ and then look out for storms. 
You said the boys were coming? ” 

“ Coming! n and Dorothy sprang to the door. 
“They are here now. Listen to that shout? 
That’s Ned. Oh, I must run down. Come 
along,” and before Tavia had a chance to “ col¬ 
lect her manners ” she was bowing after Dorothy’s 
profuse introduction. 


THE PRICE OF TAVIA’S TRESSES 191 


“ I’ve heard of Miss Travers,” said Edward 
pleasantly, while Nat was “ weighing ” Dorothy 
with one hand, and attempting to shake the other 
in Tavia’s direction. 

“ You must call her Tavia,” insisted Dorothy, 
getting away from Ned, “ or if you prefer you 
may call her Octavia — she has a birthday within 
the octave of Christmas.” 

“ Should have been called Yula, for yule-tide,” 
said Nat. u Not too late yet, is it Tavia ? ” 

Mrs. White was smiling at the good times “ her 
children ” had already made for themselves. She 
now insisted upon calling Dorothy daughter and 
she was so kind to Tavia that she made no dis¬ 
tinction but said “ daughters ” in addressing both. 

“ Just see, boys,” said their mother, unpinning 
Tavia’s now famous half head of hair, “ that is 
all there is left.” 

“ Never! ” exclaimed Nat, handling the braid 
gingerly. u How much did you settle for? ” 

“ That would be telling,” said Mrs. White, 
“ but what I want you boys to do is to drive the 
girls down to your barber’s. You said it was a 
very nice place.” 

“ Tip-top,” interrupted Ned. “ Bay rum or 
old rum or anything else from oyster cocktail to 
Castile soap.” 


190 


DOROTHY DALE 


Another layer of paper and a pale blue robe was 
extracted. 

“ Oh, I know,” cried Tavia, clapping her hands 
like a delighted child, “ It’s morning and evening. 
I’m sunrise and you are evening. Or I’m sunset 
and you are evening.” 

“ Oh! ” exclaimed Dorothy, too enraptured to 
say more. 

“ And with your yellow head you will look like 
an angel.” 

“ Now, see here, Miss Sunset and Sunrise, I 
don’t mind being cloudy or even starry, nor yet 
heavenly, but don’t you dare go one latitude or 
longitude further. I am mortally afraid Aunt 
Winnie has elected to wear amethyst this very even¬ 
ing, and when the combination gets together I ex¬ 
pect something will happen — something like Mt. 
Pelee, you know.” 

“ We might call it our elementary evening,” 
went on Tavia, “ and then look out for storms. 
You said the boys were coming? ” 

“ Coming! and Dorothy sprang to the door. 
“ They are here now. Listen to that shout? 
That’s Ned. Oh, I must run down. Come 
along,” and before Tavia had a chance to “ col¬ 
lect her manners ” she was bowing after Dorothy’s 
profuse introduction. 


THE PRICE OF TAVIA’S TRESSES 191 


li I’ve heard of Miss Travers,” said Edward 
pleasantly, while Nat was 44 weighing ” Dorothy 
with one hand, and attempting to shake the other 
in Tavia’s direction. 

u You must call her Tavia,” insisted Dorothy, 
getting away from Ned, “ or if you prefer you 
may call her Octavia — she has a birthday within 
the octave of Christmas.” 

44 Should have been called Yula, for yule-tide,” 
said Nat. 44 Not too late yet, is it Tavia ? ” 

Mrs. White was smiling at the good times “ her 
children ” had already made for themselves. She 
now insisted upon calling Dorothy daughter and 
she was so kind to Tavia that she made no dis¬ 
tinction but said 44 daughters ” in addressing both. 

44 Just see, boys,” said their mother, unpinning 
Tavia’s now famous half head of hair, “ that is 
all there is left.” 

44 Never! ” exclaimed Nat, handling the braid 
gingerly. 44 How much did you settle for? ” 

44 That would be telling,” said Mrs. White, 
44 but what I want you boys to do is to drive the 
girls down to your barber’s. You said it was a 
very nice place.” 

44 Tip-top,” interrupted Ned. 44 Bay rum or 
old rum or anything else from oyster cocktail to 
Castile soap.” 


192 


DOROTHY DALE 


“But have you seen ladies go there?’* asked 
the mother. 

“ Took ’em there myself,” insisted the younger 
boy. “ Don’t you remember the day Daisy Bliss 
got burrs in her hair? Of course I did not put 
them there —” 

“ Oh, no!” drawled Ned. 

“ Well, she always was a dub at ducking,” went 
on the other, “ but I put up for the hair cut all 
the same.” 

“ Now do listen, boys,” and the mother spoke 
firmly. “ Tavia must have her hair trimmed. I 
tried to get a hair-dresser to come out here, but we 
could not have it done until after the railroad man 
appraised it.. So now the hair-dresser could not 
get here until after Sunday. That is why I am 
having recourse to a barber.” 

“ Couldn’t do better, mother,” spoke up Ned, 
who had been trying to get a word in with Dor¬ 
othy “ on the other side.” 

“ Then run along, girls, get your things. Don’t 
dress up; it is country all the way, and the dinner 
folks are not out yet. It will be pleasanter to fix 
up after the operation,” said Mrs. White. 

“ But I say, momsey,” called Nat after her as 
she went upstairs, “ you wouldn’t suggest a ‘ Riley,’ 
would you? ” 


THE PRICE OF TAVIA’S TRESSES 193 

“ Nathaniel White, if you dare get that girl’s 
hair cut in any but the most lady-like fashion I’ll — 
disinherit you! ” 

“Shadows of the poorhouse! Don’t! I’ll 
make the fellow trim it with a butter knife. 
Come along, children. I’ll show you the newest 
In chaperonage at Mike’s! ” 

Both girls appeared on the veranda to which 
the depot cart had been drawn up. Dorothy 
looked like a pond lily, Tavia had told her, in her 
light green dress with her yellow hair falling over 
It. Tavia too was attractive, she had on a brown 
dress with gold in it that reflected the glint of her 
hair, and, as Ned handed Nat the reins he whis¬ 
pered: “A stunner and a hummer.” 

“ It’s real jolly to have a girl around,” Nat re¬ 
marked to Tavia, who had the front seat beside 
him, “ and mother is so fond of girls — I have 
always worn my hair long to please her.” 

“ Quite a protection in summer, isn’t it? ” asked 
Tavia, noticing how the sunburn stopped where 
the hair began, and that otherwise the young man 
was much tanned. 

“Yes, some. But a fellow can’t expect to be a 
peachblow at Camp Hard Tack.” 

“ It must be a great sport to camp,” ventured 
Tavia. 


194 


DOROTHY DALE 


“The greatest ever! I would like to go out 
on a ranch but mother says 4 no, little boy, you 
must stay home,’ so home I stay.” 

Dorothy and Ned were evidently enjoying them¬ 
selves as well as those at front, for, it seemed to 
Tavia that Dorothy’s laugh had not rung out so 
jolly in many weeks — so much had happened 
lately to dampen mirthful spirits. 

“Just fancy,” said Tavia turning back to Ned, 
“ I was sent along to keep Dorothy lively, she was 
actually threatened with nervous prostration, and 
think, how lively I did keep her? Came nearing 
firing a train.” 

“ Oh, anything for a change,” politely an¬ 
swered Ned. “ One cannot tell just what sort of 
tonic is best, I am sure she looks first rate.” 

“ Bully,” added Nat, “ but don’t worry that 
you’ve laid aside nursing, Yula, I have not been 
well myself. Ahem! Just finish off on me! ” 

“ There comes our barber shop,” called Ned, 
as a striped pole appeared in view. “ Now for 
the artistic clip-the-clip. Mike is a genius, blush¬ 
ing unseen here. But I mean to set him up some 
day. Tried to get him out to camp but he shied 
when we told him there were no ‘ cops .’ Mike 
loves 4 cops,’ when the fellows get busy with his 
tonsorial apparatus.” 

“ Don’t faint this time,” Dorothy cautioned 


THE PRICE OF TAVIA’S TRESSES 195 


Tavia with a merry smile, thinking that those two 
boys would likely dip her in the brook at the side 
of the shop should she attempt anything like that. 

“ Indeed I know where and when to faint,” re¬ 
sponded Tavia. “ Mr. French has a way about 
him —” 

u But you never tried me,” said Nat, making a 
funny move as if to catch an armful of thin air. 
“ I am an authority on faints. Every girl at 
school says I’m a perfect dear, for catching falls 
at commencement time. They all keel over then.” 

They were in front of the barber shop now. 
Mike opened the door with such a bow Tavia 
could scarcely repress a smile. 1 

Ned made the arrangements, and Tavia 
mounted the high chair, allowed Mike, the Italian, 
to tuck the apron around her neck, then all she 
could see was a very queer looking girl in the glass 
in front of her. 

“Just trim it evenly,” said Dorothy, walking 
up to the chair, and feeling it was hardly safe to 
trust the boys with the order. 

Carefully the barber let down the heavy coil. 

“ What! ” he exclaimed, seeing it was only 
“ half a head.” “ Fire, you been in explosion? ” 

“ Sure! ” answered Ned, mechanically. 

Then Mike went through a series of groans, 
grunts and jabs at the air. 


196 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ So shame,” he wailed. “ The hair is so fine 
— like gold, brown gold.” 

With many a sigh and groan the barber plied 
his shears, stopping constantly to give vent to his 
feelings with a shrug of his broad shoulders and 
deep gutteral mutterings. 

“ Oh, quit gargling your throat, Mike, and get 
through with the job. The young lady is alive, 
you see, and expects to get back to the Cedars in 
time for breakfast,” said Ned. 

“ I am sure that will do,” said Dorothy at last, 
whereat Tavia gladly got out of the stuffy chair. 

“ Great! ” both boys exclaimed in admiration 
as they saw how “ smart ” Tavia looked. 

“ It is becoming,” said Dorothy. 

“ Handy,” commented Tavia. 

Presently the party was driving off again, Tavia 
indulging in the laughs she dared not take part in 
with the scissors at her ear, while Dorothy 
“ scolded ” the boys for making such sport of a 
poor foreigner. 

“Poor indeed!” Ned echoed. “I wish we 
had some of his cash on hand. I mean the ready 
stuff. I have yet to make the acquaintance of a 
poor barber; especially the imported kind.” 

It was a jolly ride home — and the evening that 
followed was one full of pleasure. 



“l AM SURE THAT WILL DO,” SAID DOROTHY AT LAST— Page 196 


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CHAPTER XXIII 


IN SOCIAL ELEMENTS 

Dorothy wore her “ heavenly ” blue dress, 
while Tavia “ blazed out ” in her sunset costume. 
As Dorothy had predicted Mrs. White was radiant 
in her beautiful amethyst chiffon, so that the ele¬ 
mentary evening “ panned out ” exactly as sched¬ 
uled. 

Mrs. White was a handsome woman. As Ruth 
Dale, youngest sister of Major Dale, she had been 
a belle, and now as Mrs. Winthrop White she 
was acknowledged a social leader and a favorite. 

Her hair had the same brightness that made 
Dorothy’s so attractive, except that years had tar¬ 
nished that of Mrs. White, while her niece had 
seen only sunshine in life to polish the golden warp 
that beauty loves to spin. There were many fea¬ 
tures in both that marked relationship, and it was 
always declared that Dorothy was a Dale both in 
character and features. 

The broad veranda at the Cedars was lighted 
with a flood of summer moonbeams, and there was 

197 


igB 


DOROTHY DALE 


seated on the lounging chairs a gay party of young 
persons and a few “ grown ups.” 

Tavia and Dorothy, Ned and Nat, besides 
Rosabel Glen, the young girl who lived in the 
pretty cottage next the Cedars, were there, and 
with Mrs. White were Mrs. Theodore Glen and a 
visitor from Toledo, a Miss Battin. 

In meeting Rosabel Glen the girls from Dalton 
were both conscious of making the acquaintance of 
a society girl, one who though still in her teens, 
knew exactly what to say to be polite, and pre¬ 
cisely what to do to show off to the very best pos¬ 
sible advantage. She had called at the Cedars in 
the afternoon and remained just fifteen minutes, 
which time Mrs. White informed the girls after 
her departure was the social limit for a first call. 

“ But we were talking of something that could 
not possibly be finished in that time,” Dorothy had 
complained. 

“ All the better chance for Rosabel to show off 
her manners,” said Mrs. White with a laugh, for 
she had never agreed that young girls should enter 
society on stilts. 

But the evening was different, informal and al¬ 
most jolly. (The “almost” belonged to Miss 
Rosabel while the “ jolly ” was looked after by 
Ned and Nat, Dorothy and Tavia feeling like an 


IN SOCIAL ELEMENTS 


199 


appreciative audience.) All sorts of topics were 
introduced by the unhappy boys, who never had a 
good time when the Glens were present, but all 
resulted in the same failure to make a general con¬ 
versation of firmer consistency than monosyllables. 

“ But you must come out to camp,” said Nat in 
desperation. “ We have the jolliest quarters, on 
a high knoll, just off the lake front and not too 
far from the hotel — a hotel is not bad to have 
around when a good blow takes the roof off your 
head at midnight.” 

“ Oh, my! ” exclaimed Rosabel, “ you do not 
mean to say that your tents blow away in the 
night?” 

“ Not a bit particular as to time — night or 
day,” went on the young man, “ so long as they 
get away. Last time Ned clung to the ropes and 
the campers missed something for it was awfully 
dark.” 

“ And you really were carried up by the force 
of the wind? ” gasped the polite girl. 

“ And let down by it,” admitted Ned, “ I have 
a souvenir yet,” rubbing his left arm. 

“ And girls camp! ” gasped the one from the 
other cottage. 

“ Heaps of them. They’re the best neighbors 
we’ve got. There’s Camp Deb (all debutants 


200 


DOROTHY DALE 


you know), and I tell you their social guardians 
know how to fix them up for the season. They 
make a fellow think of the way fowls are treated 
before holiday time —” 

“ Oh,” almost shrieked Rosabel, “ Please 
don’t!” 

“ But you ought to look into the treatment. I 
tell you those girls are beauts. They get fun, 
exercise, fresh air and have the last good time they 
ever expect to have in this world. Poor dears, 
they must all be engaged next season, you know.” 

Dorothy and Tavia were enjoying this, Rosabel 
had seemed to forget their presence, she at once 
became so absorbed in the society talk. 

“ I would like to visit camp,” she ventured. 

“ Come along then,” said Nat good naturedly, 
“ Our girls are coming out to-morrow.” 

Tavia gave a significant sigh. Who could have 
any fun “ with that door-bell floral piece tagging 
on,” she thought. 

Mrs. Glen was appealed to and it was finally 
arranged that she, Mrs. White, and the younger 
set should go on the following afternoon to visit 
Camp Hard Tack. 

When the nine o’clock bell rang the visitors 
promptly rose to go, nor were they detained by 
any overwhelming entreaties to prolong their stay. 


IN SOCIAL ELEMENTS 


201 


“ Of all the sticks,” began Ned, when they were 
at a safe distance. 

“ Hush, Neddie, Rosabel is being properly 
brought up,” interrupted Mrs. White with more 
smiles than frowns. 

“ Properly! Save the mark! And if I had 
been a girl would you have done that to me? I 
did hope that Dorothy might be made comforta¬ 
ble here for some time, but if that is contagious 
I’ll take her home myself. A case like that must 
be fatal,” and Ned shook his head seriously. 

“ And her cheeks? ” asked Nat, “ what do you 
call that? ” 

“ The very best,” replied Tavia, “ I know that 
kind is two dollars an ounce. I saw it in Roches¬ 
ter.” 

“ Then we’ll fix her out at camp,” decided Nat. 
“ We will put up some kind of a game that calls 
for a face wash and a forfeit. If Rosy objects 
I’ll get the boys to wash it for her.” 

“ Oh, that would be rude,” insisted Dorothy. 

“ Not for campers,” insisted the unquenchable 
Nat, “ It might be for ministers, but not for 
campers.” 

It was not late enough to leave the porch, so 
the talk drifted to Dalton matters. 

“ Now Dot,” began Ned, “ I’d like to hear 


202 


DOROTHY DALE 


more of the ‘ chaser ’ business. I am sure we have 
all heard the wrong story of it, and even at that 
I must admit it is not so slow — rather interest¬ 
ing. Give us the right version.” 

“ Let Tavia tell it,” Dorothy begged off. 

“Well, who did the fellow turn out to be?” 
asked Ned. 

“ He hasn’t turned out yet,” replied Tavia. 
“ The last we heard of him he tried to throw Dor¬ 
othy over the falls —” 

“ Scamp,” interrupted Ned. “ Pity there’s no 
fellows in Dalton big enough to lick a fellow like 
that.” 

“ Oh, there are plenty of them,” declared Dor¬ 
othy, at once up in arms for the Dalton boys. 
“ But he is such a coward he never appears except 
when he is sure we are alone.” 

“ The entire boys’ school hunted for him that 
day in the woods,” added Tavia, “ but he got 
away.” 

“ What on earth is he after? ” went on Ned. 

“ The Burlock money,” promptly replied Dor¬ 
othy. “ At first we did not know that, but there 
is no doubt of it now. When he grabbed me he 
hissed into my ear, 1 Did Miles Burlock leave his 
money with your father? ’ Oh ! ’’ exclaimed Dor¬ 
othy, “ I can’t bear to think of it yet.” 


IN SOCIAL ELEMENTS 


203 


“ Excuse me, coz,” spoke up Ned, “ perhaps I 
should not have made you think of it.” 

“ Indeed, I scarcely ever get it out of my mind. 
It just haunts me.” 

“ That’s why she left school,” Tavia reminded 
them. “ And I left to keep her company,” she 
finished with a merry laugh at the idea, and its 
evident consequences. 

“ A blessing all around,” said Nat. “ What 
would we have done if neither of you left and we 
got left — for this good time. I hope mom will 
kidnap Dorothy.” 

“ Indeed you cannot have her,” declared Tavia. 
“ I should pine away and die at Dalton without 
her.” 

“ Then stay at Birchland,” suggested Ned. 
“ Plenty of room.” 

“ But what does the fellow want with the Bur- 
lock money?” asked Nat, getting back to the in¬ 
teresting affair that still remained so much of a 
mystery. 

“ It’s a long story,” began Dorothy, “ and it 
has not all been told yet. Burlock was, in some 
way, in Anderson’s power. I was with father 
when poor Mr. Burlock told us about it. He 
declared it was all the result of too much liberty 
in youth and bad company —” 


204 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ Be warned, Nat, my boy,” interrupted Ned* 
jokingly. “ I must have the mater cut you down. 
‘ And he rambled till the mater cut him down,’ ” 
hummed the brother, paraphrasing the butcher 
song. 

“ Spare the allowance and cut anything else 
down you like,” answered Nat. “ But please do 
not interrupt again.” 

“ Then it seems,” went on Dorothy, “ Mr. Bur- 
lock had a lot of money left him. From that time 
on this Anderson followed Mr. Burlock and even 
succeeded in separating him from his family.” 

“ But how did Burlock hold on to the cash all 
that time? ” asked Ned. 

“ Oh, that was kept for him’ He only had the 
interest of it. But lately a Mrs. Douglass, of 
Dalton, died; she had charge of the money because 
Mr. Burlock was not considered capable of taking 
care of it himself.” 

“ And now,” said Ned, “ the major has it, and 
Anderson is trying to get it away by means of in¬ 
formation he hopes to get from the major’s daugh¬ 
ter? Easy as a, b, c. But to whom is the money 
left?” 

“ To an unknown or unfound daughter,” said 
Dorothy. “ Her name is Nellie or Helen Bur- 


IN SOCIAL ELEMENTS 


205 


lock, and it was in hopes of locating her, upon a 
false clew which Anderson sent, that poor Mr. 
Burlock met his death.” 

“ But Dorothy had him all fixed for heaven,” 
said Tavia. “ Yes, if ever a man died, hoping to 
be forgiven, it was Miles Burlock. Those who 
were with him said so, and it was all Dorothy’s 
doings. I must admit I did joke her about it,” 
Tavia said earnestly, “ but she had done so many 
things girls never do, and she was not strong 
enough to keep it up, so we all had to try to dis¬ 
courage it. But you will have to come to Dalton 
to hear her praises sung. She is a regular home 
missionary — the kind they tell about in meetings, 
but who are too busy to come and talk about them¬ 
selves.” 

“ I am sure Dorothy is an angel,” said Nat, 
putting his arm affectionately around his cousin. 
“ I only hope she will save some of her goodness 
for me — I do need a mission.” 

“ Indeed,” answered Dorothy, “ joking aside, 
you boys are very good and so attentive to your 
mother. She told me so herself.” 

“ Oh,” gasped Nat, “when did she say that? 
Is it too late to make a strike now? I am hor¬ 
ribly short — shore dinner this week you know.” 


206 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ And there’s Nellie,” resumed Ned, determined 
to get at the bottom of the Burlock story. “ Now 
she’s to have money. What do you say, Nat, if 
we get on the case? Nellie might make it all 
right, you know.” 

“ Great scheme, boy,” said Nat, “ you do the 
finding and I will act as your attorney.” 

“ Isn’t there any clue? ” asked Ned. 

“ Yes, father is working on one, and I am so 
anxious to hear the result,” said Dorothy. “ Of 
course he will not write about it. I expect there 
will be lots of news when we get back to Dalton.” 

Tavia had been silent for some time. The boys 
had failed to “ wake up her jokes,” as they ex¬ 
pressed it. 

“ Look here,” said Ned tipping her chair back 
in a perilous way. “ You can’t claim to be sleepy 
for your eyes are just like stars. Nor need you 
pretend to be weeping inwardly for the coil of taffy 
we all forgot to bring back from Mikes’ (if any¬ 
thing happens to that hair I’ll have his license re¬ 
voked), so now own up, what are you mop¬ 
ing about? ” 

Dorothy was at Tavia’s side instantly. 

“ You are tired, dear,” she said. “ Perhaps you 
are weak from shock. Let’s go in.” 

“Indeed I’m all right—” stammered Tavia, 


IN SOCIAL ELEMENTS 


207 


but a hot tear fell on Dorothy’s hand, and told a 
different story. 

“ Homesick!” whispered Ned as he kissed 
Dorothy good night. “ She’ll be all right to-mor- 


CHAPTER XXIV 


THE PAINTED FACE 

Human life seems so like that depicted in the 
elements about us; a patch of blue here, and a 
streak of blackness stealing up there to cover it. 
A glint of gold there and a flurry of smoke almost 
upon it. So with life: brightness is so closely fol¬ 
lowed by shadows that gloom and glow become 
inseparable. Perhaps the contrasts save us from 
the blinding glare of extremes; it may be well to 
have even our joys tempered with moderation. 

It had been such a happy day — Tavia felt she 
had never before known how to enjoy life. There 
had been many happy times of course, in Dalton, 
and Dorothy had often surprised her with entirely 
unexpected little treats; but somehow this was dif¬ 
ferent, there was so much to be enjoyed at once. 

Ah, Tavia! that is why reaction comes so sud¬ 
denly. You left Nature behind you in Dalton — 
human wild flowers have a hard time of it when 
first thrust upon the pavements of social concrete. 

208 


THE PAINTED FACE 


209 


Dorothy was with Tavia in the pretty bedroom. 
The moonlight made its way in at the curtained 
windows, and the two girls were clinging to each 
other there on the cushioned seat, trying to “ think 
it out,” Dorothy said. 

“ I had such a lovely time,” sobbed Tavia, 
“ and every one had been so good to me. But I 
could not help it Doro dear. When that Rosabel 
came I saw the difference — I saw I never could be 
your friend when we grew up. And then I got to 
thinking about home — Dorothy, I must go. I 
must talk about that money with dear mother and 
father and even little Johnnie — he did seem to 
need me so much! And I have been so selfish — 
to leave them all.” 

“ Now, Tavia, you make me feel badly. It is 
I who am selfish to take you away, but I am sure 
your mother particularly wanted you to come, and 
your father was so pleased. I tell you, dear it is 
all that money. You just feel you cannot wait to 
talk all about it, and I don’t blame you at all. 
You shall go home just as soon as you want to.” 

“ But you must stay,” said Tavia, brightening 
up at the thought of going home. “ I came to be 
company for you, but you do not need me.” 

Was there just a sign of jealousy in her words? 
Dorothy instantly detected a change — Tavia 


210 


DOROTHY DALE 


drew herself up so like other girls, but so unlike 
Tavia. 

“ Not need you! Why, Tavia, who in all this 
world could take your place,” and her arms were 
wound around the neck of the weeping girl, while 
the fondest sister-kiss was pressed to the tear- 
stained cheek. 

“ My, what a goose I am!” suddenly ex¬ 
claimed Tavia, springing up. “ I never was 
homesick or had the real blues in all my life, and 
I do not propose to do the baby act now. So 
there,” and she gave a hearty hug to Dorothy. 
“ I’m done with blubbering, and I’m more 
ashamed of myself than I was the day I ran away 
after the row with Sarah. Now, I’ll beat you to 
bed, and to sleep, too, for that matter. We will 
have to do some tall snoring to catch up with the 
rosy Rosabel — her cheeks will make ours look 
like putty.” 

It was late, and Dorothy was glad to feel that 
Tavia had conquered her homesickness, for that 
is what Dorothy insisted the attack was. It was, 
however, the first — but the pain it left in Tavia’s 
heart did not heal at once, nor did it leave the spot 
unscarred. 

Mrs. White had prudently left the girls to 
themselves, but now, by some strange intuition she 


THE PAINTED FACE 


211 


felt the “ storm ” was over, and sent a maid to 
ask Dorothy if some crackers or an ice would not 
taste good. In replying the girls discovered they 
were not the only ones up late, and presently the 
entire party had assembled in the beautiful chintz 
dining room, and the ices were being served be¬ 
tween good-natured “ jollyings.” 

“ That hair cut went to your head,” Ned told 
Tavia, “ but wait until I go down for the tresses, 
I’ll scare Mike stiff — make him believe we 
thought he had 1 cribbed ’ them.” 

Tavia was entirely herself now, and had word 
for word with the jolly boys. 

Mrs. White studied her closely, but of course, 
unobserved. She was a fine girl, no doubt of it, 
and a pleasant companion for Dorothy. Her hu¬ 
mor was as pure as the bubbles in the brook, and 
just as unfailing. And what a pretty girl she was! 
Those hazel eyes and that bronze head. No won¬ 
der even the foreign barber had noted that it was 
“ scarce.” 

“ A veritable wildflower,” concluded the hostess, 
just as others had said; Major Dale for instance. 

Dorothy was of an entirely different type. Her 
beauty was the sort that grows more and more at¬ 
tractive, as character develops, not depending upon 
mere facial outline. 


212 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ Now, children, off to bed with you,” said Mrs. 
White, touching the bell to tell the maid the late 
lunch was over, “ and to-morrow you know we go 
to camp. You will not have a headache, Tavia ? ” 

“ I have never had one in my life,” answered 
Tavia, in that polite tone she always used in speak¬ 
ing to the hostess. “ Perhaps my head does not 
know enough to ache.” 

“ Blissful ignorance then,” replied Mrs. White, 
“ see to it that you never become so worldly-wise 
as to learn how. A head that does not ache is a 
joy forever.” 

Hasty good nights were’ exchanged, and this 
time there was no “ waking night-mare ” for Ta¬ 
via. She wanted to sleep — young hearts may 
ache once in a while, but they have a comfortable 
habit of deferring to tired nature at least once in 
twenty-four hours. 

So the Cedars rustled to their hearts’ content, 
and the pines whispered derisively at their attempt 
to make themselves heard in the world of music 
makers — poor little stunted cedars! So small 
beside the giant pines, so useless in a tree’s great 
province — to give shade; but that file of trees, 
scarcely taller than a hedge, had for years and 
years made the division between one land and an¬ 
other, so they stood for that at least. As Nat had 


THE PAINTED FACE 


213 


explained to Tavia “ they knew where to draw the 
line.” 

The morning that followed was one of those 
beautiful streaks of Nature’s capriciousness when 
she allows spring to turn back and give orders to 
summer. It was late in June, yet the air was soft 
and balmy, and the sunshine behaved so nicely that 
Tavia, looking out of her window actually found 
dew on the honeysuckle, and saw there was no 
need to close blinds at even ten o’clock — which 
was late for dew certainly, and late for a girl like 
Tavia Travers to get her first romp out of doors. 

Dorothy looked in mischievously. 

“ We didn’t call you,” she said smiling, “ be¬ 
cause you were so anxious about your cheeks, you 
know. Let me see. I do declare, Tavia Travers, 
is that a blush? Or did you dream you were 
Rosabel? Now don’t try to tell me that’s per¬ 
fectly natural. It isn’t — it’s simply divine,” and 
she gave her friend a reassuring kiss. 

“ When we get to talking such nonsense,” said 
Tavia with as much severity as she could summon 
on short notice, “ I think we should do something 
f or it — get busy at something you know. It is 
plainly the result of downright idleness.” 

“ Dr. Gray’s prescription, you know. But now 
for camp. The boys have gone on ahead, and 


214 


DOROTHY DALE 


Aunt Winnie is going to stop at the hotel for lunch. 
She said she thought we would enjoy it.” 

“ Oh, I will, I am sure,” answered Tavia, 
promptly. “ That’s what worries me, I am get¬ 
ting to enjoy everything. What in the world will 
I do when I get back to Dalton? ” 

“Write letters to Nat, I suppose. Now don’t 
get any deeper shade of red, dear. The one that 
you woke up with is so becoming.” 

“ How much time have we? ” asked Tavia, be¬ 
stowing more care on the brushing of her short 
hair now than she had ever thought of giving the 
mass that the barber still had in his keeping. 

“ Perhaps an hour, but we want to get out on 
the lawn, for a game of ball before we start. I 
am just dying to play real ball! I do miss Joe 
and Roger so! ” 

“ I am sure they miss you, too, Doro. I have 
been wondering how you have managed to keep 
away from them.” 

“ Well, I have to you know. Besides I get a 
letter every day. Joe said yesterday that your 
folks had taken the Baldwin house.” 

“ Father said in his letter he expected to. But 
do you know, Doro, I would never advise a poor 
girl to go out of her own territory, I think I shall 
be unhappy now — at home.” 


THE PAINTED FACE 


215 


“ Nonsense. You will enjoy, the simple life 
more thoroughly than ever. That is only a 
scruple, you are afraid you shouldn’t enjoy any¬ 
thing but Dalton. You know perfectly well you 
would rather dig Jacks-in-the-pulpit out by our 
back wall, than snatch those honeysuckles at your 
window. 

“ Perhaps,” said Tavia vaguely. “ But I guess 
you are right, Doro. You always are. I am just 
afraid to think of anything but what we’ve got.” 

“ Not even the five hundred? ” 

“ Oh, that is what upsets me. I shall expect 
it to make us millionaires.” 

“ And so it will in happiness. I can’t blame 
you one bit for wanting to get home to talk it 
over.” 

“ Oh, that was yesterday. To-day I want to go 
to camp.” 

Dorothy looked at her uneasily. She remem¬ 
bered it was told her once that sudden changes 
were always unwholesome to young people. 

“ It must be that,” she told herself, “ Tavia has 
had too many sudden changes lately. And she al¬ 
ways was so sentimental. I believe, after all, it is 
best for girls to keep busy at practical things. 
Tavia has never been trained.” 

“ Now,” said Tavia, who had been fixing be- 


2 l6 


DOROTHY DALE 


fore the pretty dressing table, “ I’m ready. But 
I have a plan — to help Nat out with Rosabel’s 
complexion test.” 

“ Oh, he was only joking,” exclaimed Dorothy. 
“ He wouldn’t be so rude.” 

“ It’s no harm, I’m sure; I’ve done it lots of 
times. Come out and I’ll show you.” 

Out on the lawn Tavia ran about like the girl 
she used to be. She was looking for something. 
Down behind the hedge of Cedars then out on the 
open fields patches of clover and daisies were tan¬ 
gled — they grew outside the Cedars; beyond the 
line. 

“ Here it is! ” she called to Dorothy. “ Such 
a lovely bunch.” 

Then running back she brought to Dorothy a 
long stem of mullen leaves. 

“ What are they for? ” asked Dorothy, for she 
knew the common plant well enough. 

“ To paint our cheeks with, and it doesn’t come 
off! Won’t Rosabel be surprised.” 

“ But I wouldn’t think of putting those sticky 
leaves to my face,” objected Dorothy. 

“Why, they’re not poison,” said Tavia, be¬ 
ginning to unfold the velvet leaves that look so 
soft and are really so very “ scratchy.” 

“ Don’t! ” begged Dorothy. “ It is just as bad 


THE PAINTED FACE 


217 


as paint, and paint is positively vulgar. I am sure 
you were mistaken about Rosabel. No respectable 
girl would be so foolish.” 

But Tavia was rubbing the leaves to her pink 
cheeks with absolute disregard of everything but 
“ rubbing.” That seemed to be the one thing nec¬ 
essary in the operation. 

Presently a deep red stained her cheeks. She 
felt the sting but wanted to make sure it was all 
rubbed on. 

“Does it burn?” asked Dorothy in surprise 
that Tavia should really carry out her threat to 
make her cheeks redder than Rosabel’s. 

“ A little,” admitted Tavia. “ Don’t you want 
to try it?” 

“ Not for worlds,” answered Dorothy. “ Since 
you say it will not wash off how are you going to 
explain it?” 

“ Sunburn,” promptly answered the other, with 
a subtlety surprising to Dorothy. 

“ You really must not help the boys play any 
joke on Miss Glen,” said Dorothy. “ You know 
they are Aunt Winnie’s neighbors, and we are her 
guests.” 

“ Oh, all right, if you feel that way about it,” 
said Tavia a little stiffly, “perhaps, Dorothy, I 
had better have a headache and not go out to 


2 l8 


DOROTHY DALE 


camp — I don’t mean to be pouty,” she hurried 
on, “ but really, Dorothy, I have never been able 
to withstand that sort of temptation and I might 
embarrass you. I wouldn’t do it for anything, 
Doro.” 

Dorothy Dale was perplexed. First Tavia had 
said sunburn instead of mullen leaves, and now she 
was willing to substitute headache for rudeness. 
Wasn’t she learning a trifle too fast? Aunt Win¬ 
nie never advocated that sort of thing — the rich 
may be just as honest as the poor, and more so, 
for they have opportunities of discerning the great 
difference between a gentle and polite way of sav¬ 
ing persons’ feelings and the rude unpardonable 
way of seeking refuge behind little quibbles at the 
expense of truth. 

“ We were only joking, of course,” said Dor¬ 
othy finally, jumping up from her seat on the old 
tree stump, “ But it is different where some one 
else is concerned. Everybody is not willing to 
take a joke you know.” 

“ I’ve noticed that lately,” replied Tavia, press¬ 
ing both hands to her cheeks to stop, if possible, 
the burning of the mullen leaves. “ But you 
know I once promised to show you how I looked 
painted. Now I’ve kept my promise.” 

The flaming red of her cheeks seemed to make 


THE PAINTED FACE 


219 


her eyes blaze as well, and it could not be denied 
she looked wonderfully pretty — or would look 
so at longer range, through opera glasses, per¬ 
haps. But in calm daylight there was something 
strange about her face. The short bronze hair, 
the dancing hazel eyes,—” 

“ Tavia,” exclaimed Dorothy, dismay in her 
voice, “ I am so sorry — you look like — an ac¬ 
tress.” 


CHAPTER XXV 


AN EMERGENCY CASE 

“ There’s a special messenger,” exclaimed 
Dorothy, with a little flutter. “ I hope there’s 
nothing the matter —” 

The boy with the bag strapped over his shoulder 
had dismounted from his muddy bicycle, and was 
now at the door of the Cedar mansion. 

Tavia slipped through the hedge after Dorothy. 
It seemed the message must be from Dalton, 
somehow, and she too, like Dorothy, felt a trifle 
agitated. 

The maid had answered the ring, and now the 
boy was wandering along the path, content that 
his time-mark allowed a few moments for such 
recreation. 

Mrs. White appeared on the piazza presently. 
Dorothy and Tavia were within its portals, wait¬ 
ing to be summoned. 

“ My dear,” began the hostess, “ I have just 
received a message from Major Dale. He wants 
220 


AN EMERGENCY CASE 


221 


you to come home — at once. He is called to 
Rochester on important business, and as he says 
Mrs. Martin is not well, so he cannot leave with¬ 
out having his little housekeeper in charge of 
things — Dorothy, you are a real Dale, able at 
your age to keep house.” 

“ Aunt Libby sick,” was Dorothy’s first thought 
and exclamation. 

“ The Rochester case,” declared Tavia. “ That 
means the Burlock mystery is going to be cleared 
up.” 

“ The major did not, of course, hint at the na¬ 
ture of his business, but I am really so sorry to 
lose you just now. And the boys at camp — they 
will be painfully disappointed,” said Mrs. White. 

“ We have had a perfectly splendid time,” de¬ 
clared Dorothy, “ and I am sure we can hardly 
thank you for your — attention. You have so 
many calls upon your time and you did all that 
shopping for us.” 

“ My dear,” and the aunt tilted Dorothy’s chin 
to kiss it, “ that was a real dissipation. To shop 
for my own girls. Why, it made me feel like a 
youngster, myself. And besides, I had orders 
from Dalton.” 

“ Even so,” insisted Dorothy, showing some 
surprise at the word “ orders.” “ It took a lot of 


222 


DOROTHY DALE 


time and it was such a warm day. But you did a 
great deal more than that for us, Aunt Winnie, you 
must remember how much I can do, too, and give 
me a chance some day, when you want a rest.” 

“ Bless the baby’s heart! Hear her talk! ” and 
the woman in the soft gray robe threw her ams 
about Dorothy. “ All the same, when my heart 
gets unconquerably lonely for my daughter, I shall 
command her to come to me.” 

Tavia was “ standing afar off.” Her burning 
cheeks grew more scarlet every moment, and were 
plainly a matter of great embarrassment to her. 
She did want to offer her thanks with those of 
Dorothy, but somehow, her words were scorched 
when they reached her lips, and they “ stuck there.” 

“ My dear,” exclaimed Mrs. White, presently 
noticing Tavia’s confusion. “ Have you been in 
poison ivy? Your cheeks show a poison! ” 

“ Only mullen leaves,” answered Tavia 
promptly, relieved to have made the confession 
without further parleying. 

“ Mullen leaves,” in a surprised voice, then 
adding quickly, “ Oh, of course, we all used to do 
that. You were painting to go out to camp,” said 
Mrs. White. 

“ Tavia was going to help play a joke on Rosa¬ 
bel,” interrupted Dorothy, anxious to make the 


AN EMERGENCY CASE 


223, 


matter as light as possible, and help Tavia with 
her honesty. 

“ Why, that would be too bad,” said Mrs. 
White, “ Poor Rosabel has trouble with her skin. 
It is always flaming red, and it seems almost im¬ 
possible to cool down the sudden flashes. It is 
caused by a nervous condition.” 

Tavia dropped her eyes. What if Dorothy had 
not spoken against the joke, and if they had really 
gone to camp? 

“ Your train leaves shortly after lunch,” con¬ 
tinued Mrs. White, “ so you had better be getting 
ready. I am sorry the boys are not here to see 
you off, but I will drive you over myself and see 
that you are safely en route for Dalton. I almost 
wish I were going myself. It seems an age since I 
have seen the dear major.” 

“ Oh, do come! ” exclaimed Dorothy joyously, 
“ Wouldn’t it be splendid.” 

“ If I only could, my dear, but I cannot this 
time. I will surprise you some day. Then I will 
see whether you or Tavia is the better house¬ 
keeper.” 

“ Please do not surprise me,” begged Tavia, 
“ although I should be so very glad to see you — 
give me notice, so that you may be able to get in. 
Whenever I take to sweeping and bar up the doors 


224 


DOROTHY DALE 


with furniture my Sunday school teacher calls.” 

“ I always was considered a good player at hop¬ 
scotch,” joked Mrs. White, “ so you need not 
worry about that, Tavia, dear.” 

The dress suit cases were to be packed. They 
had been full enough coming, but it was soon 
found impossible to get all the new things in them 
for the journey back. Tavia discovered this first, 
and called it in to Dorothy’s room. 

“ I can’t get my things in either,” answered 
Dorothy back, through the summer draperies that 
divided the apartments. “ We will have to send 
a box.” 

This seemed a real luxury to the girls — to come 
home with an express box. 

Mrs. White had given Dorothy a fine bracelet 
as a good-bye present, and to Tavia a small gold 
heart and dainty gold chain. 

Tavia could not speak she was so surprised and 
pleased at first. Dorothy had a locket and chain, 
but Tavia had hardly ever expected to own such a 
costly trinket. The maid had brought the gifts 
up. Mrs. White was busy dressing. 

“ I’ll have to hug her,” declared Tavia, kissing 
the heart set with a garnet. 

“ Just do,” agreed Dorothy, “ she would be so 


AN EMERGENCY CASE 


225 


Down the stairs flew Tavia. Lightly she 
touched the mahogany paneled door at Mrs. 
White’s boudoir. 

“ Come,” answered the pleasant voice. 

“ I came to thank you,” faltered Tavia, glanc¬ 
ing with misgivings at the handsome bared arms 
and throat before the gilt framed mirror. 

“ For your heart? ” and Mrs. White smiled so 
kindly. 

“Yes,” said Tavia simply, and the next mo¬ 
ment she had both arms around that beautiful 
neck. 

The woman held the girl to her breast for a 
moment. Tavia’s heart was beating wildly. 

“ My dear,” said Mrs. White, “ I do hope you 
have enjoyed yourself,” and she kissed her again. 
“ But you must promise me not to paint with mul- 
len leaves any more. Sometimes such jokes lead 
to habits — one looks pale you know when the 
blaze dies away.” 

Tavia felt as if her blaze never would die away. 
Why had she been so foolish? She would have 
given anything now to rub those horrid, prickly 
leaves off forever. 

“ I never will paint—” she stammered. 

“ I hope you will not, dear, you should be grate¬ 
ful for such coloring as you have. But let me 


226 


DOROTHY DALE 


warn you in all kindness. It is usually pretty 
girls who make such mistakes — they want to be 
more and more attractive and so spoil it all. Think 
right, and of pleasant things, and the glory of 
happiness will be all the cosmetic you will ever 
need,” and again she pressed her own white cheek 
to the burning face of the girl she still held in her 
arms. 

Later, when Tavia was thinking it all over, she 
pondered seriously upon those words. No one 
had ever spoken to her just that way before — at 
home it was taken for granted she knew so much 
more than those around her, that such counsel as 
she needed was withheld. Alas, how many girls 
lose valuable advice by appearing to be over-smart 
for their years! And then the awakening is al¬ 
ways doubly sad. So it was with this mistake of 
Tavia’s, trivial enough, yet for her — it appeared 
like a crime to have put those mullen leaves to her 
cheeks; to be thought vain; to have Mrs. White 
warn her about other girls! 

It seemed a very short time indeed, from the 
arrival of the special message at the Cedars until 
the train was speeding back toward Dalton. And 
the journey had lost all its novelty, for Dorothy 
and Tavia were so intent upon the possible hap- 


AN EMERGENCY CASE 


22 7 


penings when they should reach home, that the 
wait, even on a flying train, seemed tiresome. 

“ Do you suppose,” ventured Tavia, as she laid 
her book down, after a number of unsuccessful 
efforts to become interested in the story, “ they 
have captured that Anderson? ” 

“ I am sure I cannot guess,” answered Dorothy, 
“ but I feel certain it is about that affair that we 
are called home in such a hurry. I wish I could 
soon keep the promise I made to poor Mr. Bur- 
lock. I said I would some day find his daughter 
Nellie, and it does seem the detectives have been 
a long time in finding any tangible clew. Father 
hired two of the best he could get to trace the 
child — that was her mother who died, the one 
you told me of, you know. I did not talk about it 
because father thought it was best to say nothing 
that might possibly give Anderson a hint that they 
were on his track.” 

“And have they tracked him?” asked Tavia. 

“ Yes, they know he left Mr. Burlock in Roch¬ 
ester. He cashed a check there that Mr. Burlock 
gave him for what the poor man thought would 
be a possible clew to little Nellie’s whereabouts, 
and to think that the disappointment killed the 
disheartened father! ” 

“ Well, I only hope they have him now,” said 


228 


DOROTHY DALE 


Tavia, “I would like to have another chance at 
his — hat.” 

Then the conversation drifted back to North 
Birchland. Both girls looked much benefited by 
their visit, and even Tavia’s short hair and unnat¬ 
ural red cheeks did not detract from the noticeable 
improvement. Dorothy’s face had rounded some 
too, and the Lake air had given a ruddiness to her 
naturally delicate tinting, that was most becoming 
to her as a summer girl. 

“ I never saw such nice boys,” remarked Tavia, 
“ I think, after all, it takes money to polish peo¬ 
ple.” 

“ Not at all,” insisted Dorothy. “ It is not 
money but good breeding. There are plenty of 
poor persons who are just as polished as you call it. 
Father often told us about a family he visited when 
he was abroad. They were so poor in clothes — 
pathetically shabby, and yet they w 7 ent in the very 
best society. Father used to make us laugh by 
his funny descriptions of the ladies at dinners. At 
the same affairs would be Thomas Carlyle, and 
just think, these poor people — he was a parson, 
lived on the very ground that was once part of the 
garden of Sir Thomas Moore. Father saw the 
famous mulberry trees there, that so much has been 


AN EMERGENCY CASE 


229 


written about. I hope I may be able to go there 
some time — we have relatives in England.” 

“ I would not care to travel,” said Tavia im¬ 
patiently. “ This seems a long enough trip for 
me. 

“Only.two more stops,” said Dorothy as the 
train rattled past the stations. “ Oh, I shall be 
so glad to see them all.” 

“ And lonesome for the Cedars after you have 
seen them all,” Tavia hinted. “ That’s the worst 
of it, home is always with us —” 

“ Get your hat box down,” Dorothy interrupted. 
“ We are slackening up now.” 

“ Dalton! Dalton! ” called the brakeman at the 
door, and the next minute the girls were being 
kissed heartily by Joe, Roger and Johnnie, “ the 
committee on arrival,” as Tavia said. The lads 
were fully qualified to carry off the honors in the 
way of boxes and small bundles. 

“ How is Aunt Libby? ” asked Dorothy as soon 
as she could say anything relevant. 

“ Better,” said Joe, “ but father does not feel 
well — you are not to worry —” seeing how her 
face clouded, “ he is only tired out. He has been 
working at the office and writing so many let¬ 
ters —” 


230 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ That I should have written. Poor dear 
father! I hope he is not going to have another 
spell,” and Dorothy sighed. 

“ No, the doctor said he would be all right if 
he would only stay quiet, but he is about as quiet as 
my squirrel in its new cage,” said Joe. 

“ Home again,” called Dorothy, waving her 
hand to the major who now appeared on the 
piazza. “ Here we are, bag and baggage,” and 
then it seemed all the “ pain of separation ” was 
made up for in that loving embrace — the major 
had the Little Captain in his arms again. 


i 


CHAPTER XXVI 
Dorothy’s courage 

“ Dorothy,” said the major, when all the news 
from Aunt Winnie’s had been tdld and retold to 
Joe and Roger, “ I want you to come to my study 
after tea. I have something to say to you.” 

The major was seated in his favorite chair at 
the open window. Dorothy thought he looked 
handsomer every day, as his hair became whiter, 
and now as she came to him for the business talk, 
she wondered who in all the world could have so 
loving and so noble a father. 

“ I had expected to go to Rochester in the morn¬ 
ing,” he began, as Dorothy dropped to the stool 
at his feet, “ but that dear old meddling doctor 
says no. I feel well enough —” 

“ But you are not, daddy dear,” interrupted 
Dorothy. “ You have been working too hard, I 
should not have left you.” 

“ Tut, tut, child, it is you who have been work¬ 
ing too hard. I did not realize it until I picked up 
231 


232 


DOROTHY DALE 


the loose ends. But we must not play pot and ket¬ 
tle. We must talk business.” 

Major Dale went across the room and opened 
his desk. The letter he wanted was at his hand 
and he glanced at it hurriedly. 

“ Yes, it is to-morrow morning,” he said. “ I 
was to appear in court to identify Anderson.” 

“They have him then?” Dorothy could not 
refrain from asking. 

“ Yes, your man — Squire Travers — rounded 
him up, so you see he has returned your compli¬ 
ment, he has captured your enemy.” 

“ But how could you identify Anderson? You 
have never seen him.” 

“ Yes, I had that pleasure once. I saw him 
with Burlock and I could identify him. Travers 
did some fine work on the case, walked right over 
the detectives, and he deserves credit. He will get 
it too, in the way of a second term as squire, for 
he has completely broken up the factions — it 
seems like one party now.” 

“ I am so glad,” said Dorothy. “ They did 
have such a hard time of it.” 

“ Yes, but about to-morrow. Do you think 
Ralph could identify Anderson? Ralph is out of 
town and I have wired him to be back to-night.” 

“ I don’t think he ever saw the man,” Dorothy 


DOROTHY’S COURAGE 


2 33 


answered thoughtfully. “ But I saw him very dis¬ 
tinctly. Wouldn’t I do? ” 

“You? Why, child, could you go into a big 
police court and say: ‘ There, that’s the manwith¬ 
out fainting from fright? ” 

“ Indeed, I could,” declared the girl. “ I 
could do more than that to find Nellie Burlock.” 

“ If I really thought so —” 

“ But you must know it,” said Dorothy, quick to 
take advantage of the major’s hesitation. “ If 
you just give me instructions I will carry them out 
to the letter. And oh! if we can only give that 
money to its rightful owner at last.” 

“Yes, if we only could, I think I would feel 
like a new man. It has weighed heavily upon me, 
particularly since that rascal attacked you at the 
falls.” 

“ I have it! ” and Dorothy’s eyes flashed in uni¬ 
son with her brain. “ Telegraph to Mr. Travers 
to meet us, and let Tavia and me go. Tavia has 
an aunt in Rochester, you know, and she will take 
care of us when we have finished with the other 
business. Indeed, I can hardly wait.” 

“ I cannot seem to think that you should go,” 
objected the major. “ It is a big city, and suppose 
Travers should fail to meet you? ” 

“ Then I’ll meet him,” promptly answered 


234 


DOROTHY DALE 


Dorothy. “ Just give me all the directions and I 
will find any police station in Rochester. Besides, 
I’ll have Tavia, and she has been there — through 
the city — often.” 

“ Well, it does seem the only way, for if we fail 
to identify Anderson he may be released, and I 
fancy he would never walk into our hands again.” 

“ Now, not another thought, but how we are to 
go? ” and Dorothy drew her chair up to his desk. 
“ Tell me all about it now, so I can have it all set¬ 
tled in my mind to-night. Then to-morrow, all 
we will have to do is depart. My! we are becom¬ 
ing famous travelers! ” 

Very late that night Major Dale still sat at his 
desk. It was a serious matter for him to allow 
his only daughter to go into a strange city and 
then to a police court to identify a criminal. But 
how else could he carry out his sacred obligation 
to Burlock ? How else could he fulfill his duty to 
the lost child? 

And Dorothy too, was troubled that night. 
Would she really have courage to undertake the 
trip to a big city and then —? 

But she, too, had made a promise, and she, too, 
felt the voice of the dead father and the voice of 
the neglected child crying for justice. 

Dorothy Dale did not hesitate — she would go. 


DOROTHY’S COURAGE 


235 


Next morning Tavia bounced around like a toy 
balloon. To think of going to Rochester, and into 
a police court — what could be more delightfully 
sensational? And perhaps they would have their 
names in the papers, their pictures, she ventured to 
suggest. “ The two girls from Dalton! ” “ A 

striking scene in the police court! ” These and 
other “ striking things ” she outlined to serious 
Dorothy, who now in the early morning sat so 
close to the car window, and seemed to hear noth¬ 
ing of the foolish prattle, as the train rattled on. 

“ Don’t be a funeral, Doro,” objected Tavia. 
“ It’s the best fun I ever dreamed of. Wait till 
they call on me to testify! Ahem! Won’t I 
make a stir! ” 

“ But we are not going to testify at all —” 

“ Same thing. We are to go before a lot of 
handsome officers, and they will be so careful of 
our feelings, of course. I hope I blush! It’s al¬ 
ways so nice to blush in print! ” 

Whether her nonsense was all frivolity, or some¬ 
what calculated to distract the over serious Dor¬ 
othy, would have taken an expert in human nature 
to decide, and there were many other things about 
Tavia quite as bewildering; but Dorothy was pa¬ 
tient, she knew Tavia would not disappoint her 
when the test came. 


CHAPTER XXVII 


THE LITTLE CAPTAIN — CONCLUSION 

“ Wasn’t it mean,” grumbled Tavia, “ I 
thought it would be so dramatic.” 

“ Dramatic enough for me” answered Dorothy. 
“ I felt a chill steal all over me when I put my 
hand on that man’s arm, and said, ‘ This is he! ’ 
Ugh, I have the rub of his sleeve still on my palm,” 
and Dorothy tried to efface the memory of it on 
her small white hand by rubbing it briskly on her 
linen skirt. 

“ Well, I am disappointed,” pouted Tavia, 
“ and I don’t want any more mock trials.” 

“ We must hurry, your father will soon be here. 
And how anxious I am to go to that place. What 
if the man has deceived the police as he did poor 
Mr. Burlock? ” 

“ No danger. He is caught in his own trap 
now, and his only hope is from good behavior — 
they make it lighter for him as he makes it easier 
to clear up the case. I heard pop talking to the 
folks last night about it.” 

This was the day after the identification of An- 
236 



INSTANTLY DOROTHY HAD HER ARMS AROUND THE LITTLE GIRL- 

Page 2.39 




























THE LITTLE CAPTAIN—CONCLUSION 237 


drew Anderson by Dorothy in the Police Court* 
The man had disguised his appearance by taking 
off his beard, but there were other marks, and the 
girl could not be shaken in her positive identifica¬ 
tion. 

The man had denied his guilt at first, but finally 
broke down when confronted with the evidence 
against him and admitted he had the Burlock child 
in hiding, but she was now in charge of some 
woman. Dorothy was to go for her to-day. 

Mr. Travers, though having many important 
affairs to attend to, was on time, and he agreed to 
take Dorothy and Tavia with him to find Nellie. 

“ Keep close to me,” he told the girls, making 
their way through dirty and uncertain streets. 
“ This is a rough part of town.” 

House after house he stopped at, leaving the 
girls in each instance waiting anxiously to be told 
to follow. But the places were so much alike in 
their squalor the search was becoming more and 
more tiresome. 

“ Maybe he gave the wrong address,” ventured 
Tavia, discouraged and dissatisfied with the many 
mistakes. 

“ No, but these people change homes so often,” 
explained her father. “ Here, this looks — wait 
a minute! ” 


238 


DOROTHY DALE 


Down the steps of a dark basement Squire 
Travers hurried. The girls looked after him — 
that place was not dirty, merely poor and bare. 

Presently he called to them: 

“ Come in, girls,” and Dorothy felt she could 
hardly move — she was so anxious and expectant. 

A woman, with a kind face, greeted them sadly, 
but with that unmistakable air of one whom pov¬ 
erty cannot drag down from self-respect. 

“ Yes, I have a child with me,” she answered 
nervously, “ but I cannot allow you to see her.” 

Then Squire Travers produced his credentials. 

" You need not fear us,” he told her kindly. 
“ We have the best of news for little Nellie Bur- 
lock, and we are only too anxious to make her ac¬ 
quainted with it.” 

“ But we have been disappointed so often,” ob¬ 
jected the woman, “ and that man Anderson —” 

“ You need not think of him now,” said Squire 
Travers. “ We have just left him in the hands of 
the sheriff. This little girl,” placing his hand on 
Dorothy, “ has brought it all about. She showed 
the child’s father how to die happily — made it 
possible for him to see the hope beyond, and then 
she and her good father have worked untiringly to 
find the child. Cannot we see her now? ” 

The woman took Dorothy’s hands, and looked 


THE LITTLE CAPTAIN—CONCLUSION 239 


straight into her eyes. Then, without a word, she 
turned and opened a narrow door, that seemed to 
run under a stairway. 

“ Nellie! ” she called softly. 

Dorothy’s heart felt as if a life was dependent 
upon those few moments. What if it should not 
be the right one? 

A child — pale and wan, but with an inexpressi¬ 
bly sweet face — stood before them. She clung 
to the woman like a frightened little bird. 

“ They have good news for us, Nellie,” said the 
woman. “ This child is Nellie Burlock, only child’ 
of Miles Burlock.” 

Instantly Dorothy had her arms around the lit¬ 
tle girl. 

“ To think we have really found you,” she tried 
to say, but the words choked for very joy in her 
throat. 

“ Have you any papers? ” asked Squire Travers 
of the woman. 

“ Yes,” she answered, “ and more than papers. 
I took that child from her dying mother’s arms, 
and no threats nor promises of that villain Ander¬ 
son have taken her from me. She is all I have 
now — my own darling has been spared the hard¬ 
ships we have to suffer.” 

“ But we will not take her from you,” said 


240 


DOROTHY DALE 


Squire Travers. “ I know something of your af¬ 
fairs. Your husband is a printer out of work? 
His name is Mooney? ” 

“ Yes,” answered the woman sadly. 

“ Then how long will it take you to get ready 
to leave for Dalton? Yourself, Nellie and Mr. 
Mooney ? ” 

“Leave?” gasped the woman, “we have until 
to-morrow morning to get out of this place —■” 

“ Very well,” replied the squire, “ then you can 
come with us promptly, for Major Dale will not 
rest until we get back. Here, you two Dalton 
girls, don’t smother that child. Save a kiss or 
two for those at home. They will want to know 
Nellie, too,” and Dorothy looked from the little 
stranger’s face to smile at the jolly squire. 

When the next afternoon train from the west 
pulled into Dalton there alighted from it a party 
that attracted the attention of all who chanced to 
be about the depot. The little blue-eyed girl, 
Nellie Burlock, was very pale, but “ wonderfully 
pretty ” Tavia declared. Mrs. Mooney had also 
that frightened, tired look, but her husband seemed 
to have left all Rochester behind him. He was a 
first-class printer and was to work on Major Dale’s 


THE LITTLE CAPTAIN—CONCLUSION 241 

paper, and was not that a bright prospect for an 
ambitious man? 

Dorothy brought Nellie in alone to the major. 
He raised his head to kiss his daughter, then he 
kissed the fatherless one — a new light came into 
his eyes. 

“ Dorothy,” he murmured. “ My own Little 
Captain! You have led us all to victory! God 
bless you! ” 

Of course there were a hundred and one ex¬ 
planations to make, and many stories to tell be¬ 
sides. Nellie Burlock told of her life with Mrs. 
Mooney, and of how she and the woman had been 
threatened more than once by Andrew Anderson. 
To Mr. Mooney the affair was nothing but a mys¬ 
tery and he had not bothered his head much about 
it. 

“ The authorities will take care of Anderson,” 
said the major, and told the truth, for the rascal 
was sent to prison for a term of years. Then 
Major Dale was regularly appointed as little 
Nellie’s guardian, although the girl continued to 
reside with Mrs. Mooney. But she often came to 
see Dorothy, and to see Tavia, too. 

“ It has all turned out for the best,” said Dor¬ 
othy, one day, to Tavia. 


242 


DOROTHY DALE 


“ I wonder if anything so wonderful will ever 
happen to us again,” remarked her friend. 

“I doubt it,” answered Dorothy; yet she was 
mistaken; something wonderful did happen, al¬ 
though of an entirely different nature. What it 
was we shall discover in another story about her, 
to be called, “ Dorothy Dale at Glenwood 
School.” 

Schooldays at Dalton were rapidly drawing to a 
close now. Both Dorothy and Tavia applied 
themselves diligently, and, wonder of wonders, 
both passed! 

“ I can’t believe it! ” cried Tavia, and she began 
to dance around the room. “ Isn’t it sublime! ” 
And then she caught Dorothy and made her dance 
too. 

“ It certainly is grand,” answered Dorothy. 
“ Oh, I am so happy! ” and then she kissed her 
girl friend; and here let us say good-bye. 


THE END 





















The Dorothy Dale Series 

BY MARGARET PENROSE 


Cloth, Decorated Cover. Illustrated, 60 cents 


DOROTHY DALE: A GIRL OF TO-DAY 

^vOROTHY is the daughter of an old Civil War Veteran 


who is running a weekly newspaper in a small eastern 
town. When her father falls sick and the newspaper 
property is in danger of going to pieces the girl shows 
what she can do to support the family. She also aids the 
temperance movement in the town and helps to solve the 
mystery surrounding the daughter of a wealthy drunkard 
who had died. Any girl who reads this book will want 
to know more about Dorothy Dale at once. 


DOROTHY DALE AT GLENWOOD 


SCHOOL 



jy^ORE prosperous times have come 
1 to the Dale family and Major 
Dale resolves to send Dorothy to a 
boarding school to complete her edu¬ 
cation. At Glenwood School the girl 
makes a host of friends and has many 
good times. But some girls are jealous 
of Dorothy's popularity, and they 


come 


seek to get her into trouble in more ways than one. A 
girl's book with not a dull page in it. 


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Or, Winning Out by Pluck 
BY HORATIO ALGER, JR. 

Illustrated, i2mo. Cloth, 60 cents 

T HIS is one of the last stories penned by 
that prince of all juvenile writers, Horatio 
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BEN LOGAN’S TRIUMPH 

Or, The Boys of Boxwood Academy 
BY HORATIO ALGER, JR. 

Illustrated, i2mo. Cloth, 60 cents 

T HIS story was penned by Mr. Alger some 
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it is needless to mention it here, and this story is in his best vein. 




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BY CLARENCE YOUNG 

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JACK RANGER’S SCHOOL DAYS 


Or, the Rivals of Washington Hall 
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Y OU will love Jack Ranger—you simply can’t help it. 
He is so bright and cheery, and so real and life like. 

A typical boarding school tale without 
a dull line in it. 


JACK RANGER’S SCHOOL 
VICTORIES 

Or, Track, Gridiron and Diamond 
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I N this tale Jack gets back to Wash¬ 
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try to put Jack 41 in a hole ” more than once. But Jack 
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a picture of boarding school life this is one of the best. 



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Or, from Boarding School to Ranch and Range 
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T HIS second volume of the “ Jack Ranger Series” takes 
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Illustrated, 12mo. 

Cloth, 60 cents 

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GUNS AND SNOWSHOES 

Or The Winter Outing of The Young Hunters 

Cloth, 12mo. Illustrated, 60 cents 

A NEW book by Captain Ralph Bonehill is always hailed 
with delight by those who have good red blood in 
their veins. In this volume the young hunters leave home 
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hunt and trap to their hearts' content and have adventures 
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notice." A good healthy book, one with the odor of the 
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BY Alyl/EN CHAPMAN 

A LLEN CHAPMAN is already fa¬ 
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and they are bound to hail this new 
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THE YOUNG EXPRESS 
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Or Bart Stirling’s Road to Success 

Illustrated, 12mo. 

Clotii, 60 cents 

■DART’S father was the express agent 
- 13 in a country town. When an ex¬ 
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TWO BOY PUBLISHERS 

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Illustrated, 12mo. 

Cloth, 60 cents 

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Or A Smart Boy and His Chances 

Illustrated, 12mo. 

Cloth, 60 cents 

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F ROM a country town the scene is changed to a great city. One 
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The DAREWELL CHUMS IN THE WOODS 

Or, Frank Roscoe’s Secret 

T HE boys had planned for a grand outing 
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one of their number had done a great wrong 
—at least, it looked so. But they could not 
really believe the accusations made so they 
set to work to help Frank all they could. All 
went camping some miles from home, and 
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BY CLARENCE YOUNG 


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This line of stories is clean, bright, up- 
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Each volume handsomely illustrated 
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Price per volume, 60c. 

THE MOTOR BOYS 

Or Chums Through Thick and Thin 

IN this volume are related how the 
* three boys got together and planned 
to obtain a touring car and make a trip lasting through the summer. 



THE MOTOR BOYS OVERLAND 

Or A Long Trip for Fun and Foztune 

TT 7 ITH the money won at the great motor cycle race the three boy* 
vv purchase their touring car and commence their travels. When 
in the West they hear of the opening up of a new gold diggings and 
resolve to visit the locality in their car. 


THE MOTOR BOYS IN MEXICO 

Or The Secret of The Buried City 

■pROM our own country the scene is shifted to Mexico, where the 
A motor boys journey in quest of a city said to have been buried 
centuries ago by an earthquake. 


The MOTOR BOYS ACROSS the PLAINS 

Or The Hermit of Lost Lake 

/ T A HIS is the latest volume in this highly successful series and takes 
A the boys through a variety of adventures. How they found Lost 
Lake, unraveled the mystery surrounding the lonely hermit who 
dwelt there, and saved their precious gold mine from falling into the 
hands of a band of sharpers. 


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